Romance Writers in the Rough

Holiday Conest by Rita Sawyer

2011-12-06T22:52:00.001-08:00

The holidays are here. To celebrate I'm doing a little giveaway, well two actually.

Are you spoiling everyone else this season ? Why not spoil yourself.

Enjoy this bounty of bath supplies and a bottle of bubbly.

Or how about a cozy cup of cocoa for two?

In this basket you'll get to have your choice of peppermint cocoa, pumpkin spice latte, vanilla latte, peppermint mocha, cocoa supreme, carmel cocoa, mint cocoa, and french vanilla cocoa in to fun holiday mugs. Oh and the little visitor is going along for the ride.

How do you win? It's easy. Like my fan page on facebook then comment here so I can verify and you'll be entered. The contest will run until December 25th with the winners being drawn, announced and notified on the 26th.

Christmas Fun.

2010-12-16T14:15:00.000-08:00

I'll be the first to admit that the shopping and running around is much fun, but I enjoy the giving of gifts. So to get in the spirit I decided to throw a contest on my blog. There's 3 parts and I just chose the winner for part 1. Part 2 starts today. It's been great fun. Stop on over and see what's happening.

Other than that I just want to wish everyone the happiest of whichever holiday it is you celebrate.

Getting motivated when motivation is lost

2010-11-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I struggle with motivation sometimes, especially when the seasons change and the days get shorter and colder. Everyone has their own ways of coping, and I've prepared a list of mine:

1) Exercise! Physical activity gets the blood pumping and allows my mind to wander freely. Once that happens I not only reduce my stress levels and feel good afterward, but often will think up ideas on trouble spots with writing and/or plot thoughts.

I highly recommend yoga for this.

2) Music! Sometimes I just need to listen to good, soothing music--or whatever suits my mood.

3) Treat yourself! Go out, go see a movie or read a book. Do something which removes you from your usual routine.

What are some of yours?

Love & Magic,
Adrianne
http://www.adriannebrennan.com

OUTLINING A STORY IDEA

2010-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

The character drives the story, but before she can react to her surroundings, its necessary to find out what is going on in her life.

Historicals nearly have the outline done for you. Research what was going on during the time you want to put her in. If the character lives in a world of your creation, what goes on in this world?

In HARRY POTTER there were quidditch matches all year and the Yule ball once a year. These are events utilized in the books. In Harry's world, the events centered around school. The problems were resolved before year's end when he got on the train home. The school year was her timeline.

What time of year events happen add to the story. Spring is symbolic of renewal. It's a good time to find resolution, lost loves, or inner strength.
Autumn might be a time when old habits or ideas die, or change to allow for something new.
Getting a feel for what occurs in your characters year will give you a ideas for the events in her life. Conflict is created around those events.

Kindertransport caught my attention because I never heard of it. Grafeneck Castle became one of six killing centers. These two factors made me wonder what kind of hero would defy the law and rescue a child targeted for termination.

Since Nazi's are never heroes I found the idea of a SS resistor interesting. My hero needs to defy the Reich, protect the heroine, and save the child while not blowing his cover and earning the trust of a woman with no reason to trust him.

Where to start?

The Nazi's took over Grafeneck in October of '39. She would have to get the children out before then. Prior to October, she needs to meet the hero, the villain, and the children of Grafeneck.
To start my time line I need to outline things the heroine needs to do.

My introduction needs to explain the "feel" of the people under Nazi rule and how this affects my heroine. I used the Christmas story. "Take the baby and flee; the king wants to kill him." This opening hook generates interest and foreshadows my heroine's conflict. My hero and heroine are introduced by a mutual mentor.

I also needed to introduce my villain, so I used a social event. The League of German Girls hosted several, accommodating my story nicely. It also allowed a resistance protest.
The heroine, Erika, gets a job at Grafeneck castle to care for handicapped children. Now, to give her challenges fitting the times. As a Catholic, Erika holds life sacred. She sees the attitudes people have against the attitudes. At work, a monetary reward is given for those nurses who turn in the names of "defective" babies to the state.

Any issue can be made into conflict. There are always those who agree and those who disagree. Making up her own mind sets up the conflict and goal. She has a certain length of time to reach these goals.

Decide the main story events and plot them on a timeline. Give her problems to solve and keep her reactions within her character experience, belief system and ability.
Erika's faith demands she resist Nazi policy. her problem now is about trust. There are those so indoctrinated they have no problem turning over dissidents to the state. Trusting the wrong person can mean her arrest.

Conflict will arise when each character tries to reach their goals before the story ends.

Once you have the major events down there is always time to add more and layer the story.
The outline lays the groundwork for events and what order they occur. It can change as your ideas change, but its always there for a reference point.

Where do writers find the time?

2010-04-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

I am a writer, but I'm also a mother and a wife. I work part-time at a local community college. So along with writing I cook, clean, run errands, go to work. It's no wonder I'm so tired. So recently when a co-worker asked me where I find the time to write I laughed. Then I explained:

Last year I managed to write 4 novellas averaging about 20k words.

I also wrote 3 full lentgh titles all over 50k words.

Along with writing there was a lot of promotion being done too. I joined a few groups that I think are really helpful. www.romancedivas.com and www.bookwormbags.com.

Granted I lost a lot of sleep, but it was worth it. And yeah the house may not have been at it's cleanest. As for kids and husband they've all pitched in so I have more time to write. I've my younger sister tell me I spent way too much time on my laptop, but it's not like the stories are going to write themselves.

In just about every room in my house there's a notebook for jotting stuff down. There's one in my car too. Even if I'm not actualy writing I'm plotting in my head. That's kind of a bonus beacsue the next time I sit down it all flows out onto the page.

At some point I'd love to quit my job and write full time, but I'm not there yet. The more I write the more ideas I get. As long as that keeps happening then I'll keep finding ways to write.

That's it for now.

Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
www.RitaSawyer.com

Plagiarism V Imagination

2010-03-27T15:02:00.000-07:00

It was called copying back in grade school. Being labeled a copy catter was a terrible fate; a thing best avoided.

Inspiration often grows from events and stories of days gone by. How thin is the line between inspiration and copying?

Plagiarism is defined as: A piece of written work someone has claimed as his/her own. (This definition was copied from the Bing search engine.)

Bram Stoker's widow sued over a 1922 remake of DRACULA, claiming the movie maker neither asked permission nor paid royalties on the piece. NOSFERATU was a near duplication of the vampire story minus the renaming of the main character from COUNT DRACULA to COUNT ORLOCK. Stoker won the suit and all copies of the movie were destroyed.

TERMINATOR was criticized for being too similar to two OUTER LIMITS episodes titled THE SOLDIER and THE MAN WITH THE GLASS HAND. The stories had to do with soldiers going back into the past and a robotic human with a computer device in a glass looking hand.

ROMEO AND JULIET has been remade dozens of times. The theme of forbidden love is favored both in Hollywood and among romance authors.
Our heroes may indeed be from the wrong side of the tracks, or fall in love with the "wrong" woman during a family feud, but we are careful not to duplicate the story. Though the idea of family conflict, and running away together is too tasty to ignore, we always put a new spin on classic ideas.

Romance writers believe in love conquering all, so we do like our happy endings. Human experiences, and universal themes have remained the same over the centuries, so there is bound to be some similarities among artists.

I had to laugh when I listened to a pod cast about Santa Claus. "He knows when you are sleeping. He knows when you're awake." The man responded "It sounds like the Gestapo." I used a similar joke in my book KINDERTRANSPORT. I won't accuse him of plagiarism; I'm sure others have made the same observation.

Inspiration hits us in a variety of ways, through news articles, overheard conversation, even dreams. We may find ourselves improving stories of old, or remaking history to our liking. Inspiration is simply a creative response to stimulus.
Plagiarism?
With our brilliant imaginations and natural talent?
Perish the thought.

DABWAHA 2010

2010-03-19T06:01:00.001-07:00

Having been away for a while, I only discovered this morning that Blue Gold was chosen to participate in DABWAHA 2010, run by Dear Author and Smart Bitches, Trashy Books.

Whatever happens, I'm delighted to be nominated in some very strong company. If you want to take part in the voting, here's the link.

More Notes From The Desk Of A BUSY New Author

2010-03-18T22:47:00.000-07:00

Okay as everyone in the United States knows it's TAX TIME. Not the best time for anyone, I know. For a new author working hard on building a back list, trying to promote what she/he already has out there, and working a day job, getting everything together and blocking out a few hours to actually fill everything out is like pulling teeth.

Seriously it's painful. I'd rather be writing, or soaking a jacuzzi with silky bubble bath soothing my skin. Shoot sorry got a little lost in thought there. See what I have to deal with. Back to whining about filing out all these forms and numbers that start to blend together after a while.

Over the past few weeks I've learned a lot about what can and can't be written off (Good to know for next year). I've come up with a organizational system that will hopefully keep my from losing my mind next year.

Good luck to everyone out there.

How To Be A Likeable Writer

2010-03-17T05:17:00.000-07:00

I’ve been writing for longer than I care to remember and if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s be a writer editors like. The publishing world might seem like a huge community, but it’s not. It’s tighter knit than you’d think. Word travels fast from one editor to another. So what qualities have I discovered can turn you into the editor’s darling? Here are my top five picks-

Be Dependable
Whether it’s freelance writing or books, publishing runs on tight deadlines. Miss one and you cost the editor sleepless nights and not to mention the publication money. Stick with deadlines no matter what. And I’d go so far to say that turn work in ahead of that deadline. If there’s a problem and the editor wants you to change something, you’ve got that extra time before the deadline’s staring you in the face.

Keep The Editor Up to Date
This quality goes hand in hand with the previous one. If you can’t meet your deadline, let the editor know ahead of time. Don’t wait for him or her to call asking where the manuscript is. If you’re having a problem with something or know you can’t get edits turned in on time, tell them and tell them early in the editing process. And ask questions if you’re not sure exactly what the editor wants. I’ve found if you have a problem and ask their advice you oftentimes get Brownie points for considering them as an expert who’s there to help.

Don’t Be A Prima Donna
This is a competitive business and word soon gets around who’s a problematic writer. Don’t let your bad reputation get in the way of making a sale to an editor who’s heard horror story about your temper tantrums.

Meet Them Half Way
There are going to be times when the editor and you don’t see eye to eye on something you’ve written. Look at it from their point of viewpoint before you talk to them. While you shouldn’t stay quiet about something you think the editor is being unreasonable about don’t argue just because you think you’re the writer, it’s your baby and that means you know best.

Be a Team Player
Think of your editor as you’re buddy. Their name’s going on your work too. They want to be as proud of the story or book as you are. Think of you both working together to make it the best project ever.

In a competitive business like writing, it’s not always the best writers who continually get published or have bylines in every magazine. It’s the ones who are reliable, always meet deadlines and get the reputation of being an easy person to work with.

Susan Palmquist is both a freelance writer and author. Her latest book, Sleeping With Fairies is published with Lyrical Press and a recent nominee for best book of the week at LASR. To find out more about Susan and her work visit www.susanpalmquist.com

Best Seller List and New Authors

2010-02-18T17:40:00.000-08:00

Best Seller List

It seems every publisher has there own, as well as ebook and traditional book stores. then of course there the NY Best Seller list.

So with all these list out there an author has a lot to shoot for. The question buzzing around my brain is:

When do you rave about hitting the list?

In my opinoin hitting any best seller list is an accomplishment worth touting loud and clear. Not only is it great promotion, but hey you worked hard writing and polishing your story. Your publisher did their part to give you an eye catching cover, and great editor. So why not tell everyone when it's doing good. Why not take the small achievements and try to turn them into something huge?

So there you have it from the little bit confused, but very happy author hoping to see everyone on the Best Seller List.

Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
http://www.RitaSawyer.com

formspring.me

2010-02-17T16:08:00.001-08:00

What's the nicest thing someone's ever done for you?

I've had a lot of nice things done for me, so hard to choose. I've had friends come over and care for me while very, very ill, including buying me groceries. Above and beyond!

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-02-17T16:00:00.001-08:00

Who's the most talented person you know?

That's a tough one. Define "talent". And how can you possibly say one person's talent is greater than another's? And in what?

Ask me anything

formspring.me

2010-02-17T13:57:00.001-08:00

Want to know more about me or my writing? Ask me anything! http://formspring.me/AdrianneBrennan

formspring.me

2010-02-17T13:56:00.001-08:00

Ever wanted to ask me a question about my writing or me in general? Ask me anything http://formspring.me/AdrianneBrennan

formspring.me

2010-02-17T13:55:00.001-08:00

Ever wanted to ask me a question about my writing or me in general? Ask me anything http://formspring.me/AdrianneBrennan

The Lost Art of Eavesdropping

2010-02-17T05:17:00.000-08:00

Wanted: Inquisitive person who keeps their ears and eyes open every day to possible story ideas.

Sound like you? Want to apply? Then congratulations, you’re a writer.

I’ve always found people and their conversations fascinating. (Okay, I’m just plain nosey). But since I’ve been a writer my inquisitiveness has become an asset and a great source of story ideas for both my fiction and non-fiction work.

Ideas are Everywhere
Stories and story ideas are out there everywhere, you just have to find them. Sometimes if you’re lucky, some will come looking for you.
Not that I’m going to turn the following conversation I overheard into a story, but for some writer it could have been perfect.

An Interesting Conversation
I was getting the oil changed in my car and sat in the waiting area reading all by myself for the first 10 minutes. Then a man, probably in his mid 30s, sat down. All was nice and quiet until his cell phone rang and the conversation started. I couldn’t figure out who he was chatting with but for the next 30 minutes he talked about the woman he’d been living with for the last two years and why he was going to walk out on her in two days time. The conversation continued with him saying he’d been unhappy for over a year and had plotted his ‘escape’ and had done his best to keep his true feelings and his abrupt exit a secret from her.

It’s a Story
My first thought was (other than why do people air their dirty laundry in public) for a writer there was a story here somewhere. For example-

For a romance writer, it could be he walks out but discovers he really can’t live without her after all.

For the mystery writer, she reacts badly, starts to attack him with a kitchen knife and he ends up killing her in self defense.

For the mainstream writer, he might get into a car accident on his way to telling her he’s leaving. He’s in a coma for the next two years while sits faithfully by his side without ever knowing what he’d plan to do to her.

It’s Easy These Days
And these days eavesdropping has got even easier. Back before cell phones you just had conversation between two people dining together. Now you have your pick of what cell phone conversation to key in on while you dine. So keep that notebook handy because you’ll never know what you’ll overhear.

Other Added Benefits
And eavesdropping has some other added benefits. It’s a great way to listen to natural dialogue. Listen to how real people talk. Can you make your characters sound like that?
And how about character traits and quirks? If you dare look their way while they’re revealing these intimate details, what are they doing as they speak. Twisting their hair or tapping their foot.
If you haven’t already guessed it, yes, I find people who speak on cell phones in restaurants and other public places really annoying. However, please don’t stop because some writer might use what they’ve overheard as the premise for their next book.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author. Her latest book, Sleeping with Fairies is published by Lyrical Press and received a five books review from Long and Short Reviews. She’s currently working on her next novel, a romantic suspense set in the Pacific Northwest. As well as blogging here, she also writes the Susan Palmquist Interviews blog at http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com. For more about Susan and her work, visit www.susanpalmquist.com

Romantic movies and what makes them good!

2010-02-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Personally, I like a romantic movie which isn't solely focused on the romance but is either a) more plot intensive and/or b) has paranormal, scifi, and/or fantasy elements. For that reason, Practical Magic is right up my alley. It has a happy ending, is about a family of witches, and I happen to like the main characters. The entire story draws me in from start to finish.

Having a happy ending is usually #1 on the criteria of most people when it comes to romantic books or movies. It's high on my own list and why I didn't like Titanic and don't plan to see nor read The Time Traveler's Wife.

What's your criteria for a good romance plot? Do you have a favorite romantic movie and if so, what?

Love & Magic,
Adrianne
http://www.adriannebrennan.com

Making Your Mark.

2010-01-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

As an author you need to get your name out there and hopefully work up some recognition. This is something I've heard a lot.

Build that backlist. I've taken this to heart and am wokring hard to get this done.

Promote the best you can. This one isn't so easy.

So where does the new author find those chances.

Yahoo loops, but I'm not really sure how much exposure I'm getting.
I started my own blog, but again limited exposure at this point.
Social networking sites, Twitter, myspace, facebook. Got them all. Fun, but time consuming since I get sucked in by the games. (Yes, I'm addicted to Farmville)

My books have gotten some great reviews and I appreciated everyone. I do think this helps.

Conventions and get togethers seems like a good way to get out there, but they can be expensive.

So there it is my thoughts today in a nutshell. If you're up for it shout out your favorite promo ops.

Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
http://www.RitaSawyer.com

Goal Making Time

2010-01-20T05:25:00.000-08:00

It’s January which seems like the perfect time to focus on writing goals for the year. Every December I jot down what I hope to achieve in the months ahead.

Last year I hung a bulletin board (see photo above) in my office. I write the name of each writing project/goal on index cards and attach them to it.

I pin my ‘want to do’ on the left hand side and on the right, projects that are done and out there circulating. Some of the index cards contain titles of my WIPS. Many are carry-overs from the year before. Most are new projects I want to start and hopefully I’ll finish.

Did you set writing goals this year? Here are some tips that have worked for me.

Write Them Down
Just like me, get a bulletin board or at least a notebook and write down your goals. Make sure it’s somewhere close by so they’re always in view and a constant reminder of what you want to achieve.

Check Them Often
Make a note to look through your list on regular basis, mark it down on the calendar if you need to. That way you can track your progress.

Tell Others
Do you belong to a writer’s group? Have a critique partner? Even a non-writing spouse or friend who’s willing to help you? I’ve found if you share your goals with someone you’re more likely to stick with them. A side tip here, ask them to check on your progress and to make you accountable for getting them done.

Reward Yourself
Did you achieve one of your goals? If so, how are you rewarding yourself? A bar of chocolate, an evening at the cinema. Rewards, no matter how small can motivate you.

What Went Wrong?
Don’t count on failing but be prepared to readjust and reset your goals now and then. Why didn’t you achieve a goal, was it lack of time, lack of motivation? Did the plot seem to go nowhere? Sometimes just thinking about why something isn’t working is enough to get things in motion again.

Set A Deadline
For me, goals only work if they have a time limit. For example, I want to send my historical novella out to the first publisher by Feb 1st. Time limits give goals more urgency.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of four novels. Her latest, Sleeping with Fairies was published in December by Lyrical Press. Susan has a monthly blog at Between the Pages, called Susan Palmquist Interviews. Find out more about her at www.susanpalmquist.com

Bring in the new, out with the old!

2010-01-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

What are some of the things you'd like to change or add for 2010?

How about some of the things you'd like to get rid of that you had back in 2009?

I have a long laundry list:

1) Finish Shadows of the Dark Moon, book 2 of the Dark Moon series, and Blood and Spice, Blood and Mint Chocolates' sequel.

2) Reorganize my bedroom and house. My workroom is also my bedroom and when it's cluttered I'm equally as scattered.

3) Get into better shape. It'll bring down my stress levels and make me feel better on the whole. I'll be getting back into yoga now that my work schedule is finalized.

4) Organize my personal time better, set up a writing schedule. I struggle with a very volatile primary career which has taken me out of writing for as much as months at a time. I can't operate like that anymore; it means getting big projects done doesn't happen.

What are some of your goals for the New Year?

Love & Magic,
Adrianne
www.adriannebrennan.com

Mary Shelley: Building a Story

2009-12-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

An idea takes root in your mind and you decide to make it a story. Ideas could come from a news story, trivia , or even a dream, as was the case with Mary Shelley. Like most of us, she had an idea and had to nurture this idea into a story.

It was a dark and stormy night (no, really) when Mary sat in the parlor with three friends on a bet. The four were bored and decided on a ghost story challenge. It is rumored the men teased her saying she was at a disadvantage as a woman, for she was unable to grasp the elements of horror.

She stared at a blank page for the longest time before remembering a conversation about Erasmus Darwin and the ideas he had about the possibility of returning a corspe or assembled body parts to life. It is said she had a waking dream which gave her the ideas for FRANKENSTEIN.

A plot seed needed nurturing to grow from there: A sceintist would create life from the dead, in a lab, using his scientific skill. If she made an outline it might look like this:

I. Scientist creates a living being (story begins)
a. His desire is to learn the mysteries of life and death and overcome them
b. He would have to rob graves to obtain body parts
c. Jail would be the penalty if he were caught. Stealth would be a must

This would establish goal, motivation and conflict for the main character. From here, Shelley would have to decide how the scientist's (Dr. Frankenstein) decision affected himself and those around him.

Instead of the growling brain-dead monster of many Frankenstein remakes, Shelley's monster was intelligent, multi lingual, and became a person with his own agenda.

II. He's created a monster (the story middle)
a. The monster cannot be controlled.
b. the monster has his own demands (wants)
c. The monster proves a threat

The monster wants a mate, the scientist is appalled. At first the sceintist tries to escape the monster, but the monster becomes adamant and threatens his creator.
(establishing his own GMC)
Unable to fit into society the monster wants a companion, one like him. (goal)
He promises his creator the to leave all in peace if he is granted this request (motivation)
He is denied (conflict).

Details often grow out of story ideas as you get to know your characters better and start to think as they would. Events escalate, the monster will not be ignored and lives are at stake.
The sceintist has to resolve the problem.
It is his creation; therefore, he is responsible for the monster.

How will he appease the monster? Can he appease it? Refusal means the death of his family.
Ultimately, the monster leaves for the artic circle, leaving the scientist broken.
A lesson learned about playing God. This is taken from her book:

"I saw the pale student of unhallowed arts kneeling beside the thing he had put together. I saw the hideous phantasm of a man stretched out, and then, on the working of some powerful engine, show signs of life, and stir with an uneasy, half vital motion. Frightful must it be; for supremely frightful would be the effect of any human endeavour to mock the stupendous mechanism of the Creator of the world."

FRANKENSTEIN was meant to be a short story, but the ideas grew and the tale grew longer. Outline your thoughts and play with the characters.

Can the monster die?Are there lessons he can teach us?
Will Frankenstein's intended dump the doctor and take up with the monster? This happened in Mel Brook's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN with hilarious results!

Outlines are only guides. Getting the main ideas down for beginning, middle and end give a starting place for further ideas. Like a seedling, the ideas will blossom into something, a real story.
But keep in mind, you alone are responsible for your own creation.

More Notes From The Desk Of A New Author.

2009-12-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Okay pushing aside real life to write can be hard enough, but when it comes to promotion its even harder. Why?

Well I think for most new writers like me it has a lot to do with not knowing where to start. I've asked around to see what other authors found worked for them. The most resounding thing I heard was write that next book. Well I took that to heart and kept tapping the keys with my fingers.

I do post excerpts and blurbs on few yahoo loops I'm a member of.

Other than that I've given out dozens of bookmarks, some magnets, and things like that. I held a Halloween giveaway and am doing one for Christmas too over at my website. The only benefit I've seen so far is the increase in traffic on my site. I really didn't expect, thought I hoped, this may help my sale. Truly I just figured I enjoy winning prizes so why not give some away.

So between dealing with real life, which includes dealling with the fact I just found out my dog is about to have puppies, and writing I'll have to find creative ways to promote and just hope that getting a backlist built helps bring sales my way.

So if anyone has ideas on ways to reach readers give a shout out.

When you’re in love, magical things can happen…

2009-12-16T05:42:00.000-08:00

Wow, where did 2009 go? I can’t believe this is my last blog of 2009. What better time to tell you about my newest book, Sleeping With Fairies that’s released on Monday (December 21st) by Lyrical Press. www.lyricalpress.com/sleeping_with_fairies

When I started writing, I always dreamed of one day setting a story in Ireland because my paternal grandmother was born in County Cork. This story came about in the days when I all I could manage to write was a short story. The characters of Claire and Michael jumped into my head and Ireland seemed the perfect setting for it. I mailed it off to the People’s Friend, a UK magazine. It came back a month later with a rejection letter. I put it aside for a few months but the story and the characters wouldn’t leave my head. My next idea was to write a novella and expand on the short story I’d created. Half way through writing, I realized this story had taken on a new life, the characters had grown and they deserved nothing less than a full novel.

I’ve always enjoyed both Irish fairy tales and ghost stories. Maybe it’s my Irish heritage but I believe magical things can happen if you truly believe in something. For me, that magical thing was becoming a published author.
Here is the blurb and an excerpt for Sleeping With Fairies. I hope you’ll read the book, find yourself transported to the Emerald Isle and that something magical happens to you too.

Oh, and did I happen to mention the book makes the idea last minute holiday gift!

Blurb
Magic is a big part of Claire Mahoney’s life, but that gift comes with the burden of a curse. The man she marries will die a month after the wedding. A gifted landscaper, she beautifies people’s gardens but is missing the light of love in her own life.

Michael Finnegan swears he will never be romantically involved again, not after the death of his wife. His daughter, Rachel, is of another mind when they move next door to Claire, whom she suspects is a witch. Rachel also begins to look up to Claire as another mother, thwarting Michael's desire to remain casual and distant from his new neighbor.

Sparks fly and the magic of true love follows. But when the curse rears its ugly head, will Michael and Claire be destined to never live happily ever after again?

Excerpt
Beads of sweat popped out on Michael’s brow. He swiped at them. He knew he should take a walk to cool down, but Rachel was in bed. He didn’t want to leave her alone in the house.
When he glanced out again, he saw Claire standing close to her window. There was a pair of binoculars around here somewhere. He’d packed them where they would be easy to find because he knew the house was by the sea, and the village had lots of interesting things for him to look at, although he didn’t quite expect one of them to be his neighbor. Michael glanced around the room, searching for the box he’d packed them in. Spotting what looked like the one, he made his way over to it. Rewarded for his effort, he pulled them out, making fast work of removing the covers from the lenses. He hid around the side of the drapes so nothing but the lenses were visible. All of a sudden, Claire came into full view. With the help of the binoculars, it looked like she was standing right in front of him.
He wondered if she had a boyfriend. In fact, it would be a blessing if she did. Michael almost dropped the binoculars when he noticed she was about to unbutton her blouse. He had to quit looking right now. He had to for his sake—hers too.
“Put the binoculars down, Finnegan,” he said under his breath.
It was impossible, because something was drawing him to her. He sensed it. Rachel’s story could be true, maybe Claire was a witch. Perhaps none of this was his fault. Just maybe he had no control over the situation.
For goodness sake, who was he fooling with thoughts like that?
She’d started to unbutton her blouse. She was about to slip the last of the buttons through the hole. Now she was pulling the blouse open, then she was sliding it off her shoulders.
He took a deep breath. What if she wasn’t wearing a bra? Some women didn’t. Did Claire Mahoney seem like the sort of woman who went braless? His heart pounded like the first time he’d set eyes on her. He licked his dry lips.
He took another deep breath. The blouse was off—yes, she was wearing a bra. He felt a hint of disappointment. The bra was a lacy one. Only a half one, mind you. What did women call them? There was a special name for them, but he couldn’t recall it.
Her breasts spilled over the bra. He licked his lips again. This time they weren’t dry. Michael imagined his lips grazing the tops of her breasts. He’d slide his tongue back and forth across them, making her think she was being tickled. Maybe she’d even giggle at the sensation.
Oh no, she’d seen him.
He’d been caught.
Michael sprang back from the window, almost tripping over his own feet. Now what was he going to do? He’d been caught red-handed. Would she knock on the door any minute? She knew he was home, so he couldn’t pretend he wasn’t. He’d have to go open the door. She’d probably slap him across the face. And he’d deserve it.
Then he had another fantasy. After she’d slapped him, they’d look into one another’s eyes. She’d make a mad dive for him. They’d kiss, fall to the floor, then she’d beg him to make love to her.
“Snap out of it,” he ordered himself.
Michael glanced back at her house. She’d pulled her drapes across the window. Did that mean she was on her way over to his house? Was she mad at him? Was she about to call the police? Would he be arrested for being a peeping tom, a pervert? What an awful way to begin life in a new village. Not to mention, embarrassing for Rachel.
“Da, what are you doing looking out the window at night with your binoculars?” He almost jumped out of his skin when Rachel spoke. Michael turned to his daughter who stood in the doorway, wearing her PJs and rubbing her eyes.
“What are you doing out of bed?”
“I couldn’t sleep. My new room seems strange to me.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“But I’m scared. Is there something to be frightened of outside? Is that why you were using the binoculars?” She walked over to him, still rubbing her eyes. She flung her arms around his waist. He patted her head.
“No, sweetie, of course not. I was just looking at the stars. You can see them so much clearer than you ever could in Dublin.”
Heaven help him, what was happening to him? He’d been in Findale no more than a few days and already he’d turned into a pervert watching his neighbor undress while having sexual fantasies about her. If all that wasn’t bad enough, now he was lying to his little girl

Wishing you all Happy Holidays.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer/publicist and author of four novels. She’s currently at work at a contemporary romance, a contemporary novella and two historical novellas. Besides blogging at Romance Writers in the Rough, she also writes a monthly blog for Between the Lines and More http://betweenthelinesandmore.blogspot.com where she interviews authors and publishers/editors. She is also the new marketing director at Breathless Press. For more information about Susan and her work check out her Web site at www.susanpalmquist.com

Hot vampires for the holidays!

2009-12-02T02:03:00.001-08:00

I still can't believe it's December. I'm waking up to below freezing temperatures but am still passionately in denial. Summer was next to non-existent and fall went by a little quickly this year. It's been a cold, cold, cold year.

But the world of vampires remains HOT! I have two short reads that are holiday themed in the Dark Moon series about vampires celebrating the Winter Solstice. It's their most sacred time. Think about it; for a vampire to get one day per year where the night is longest given their proclivity to darkness is a good thing!

On the Winter Solstice, two couples are able to spend some special time together and honor memories of the past by celebrating the present--and looking forward to the future. Each story picks up from two different books in the Dark Moon series. A Memory on Record takes place after Blood of the Dark Moon, and The Longest Night happens right after the events in Blood and Mint Chocolates.

Regardless of how you choose to spend your holidays and what you wish to celebrate most, I hope that every one of you have a terrific holiday season. Eat good food, have good times, and enjoy it all with those whom you care about most.

Love & Magic,
Adrianne
http://www.adriannebrennan.com

Doing the research

2009-11-25T10:30:00.000-08:00

For me, research for writing is not so much a labor of love as a break in the flow of my story-telling. For Flavia's Secret I was researching ancient Rome, ancient Romano-British food, society, class, fashion, the city of Roman Bath and the baths themselves - I did the same kind of research on ancient Egypt for my forthcoming Blue Gold, too, beginning first with a visit to the children's library for lots of clear explanations and lovely picture-books).

Pictures and personal observation are what I find most useful in all my research. When I'm researching for a book, days are taken up with observation - noting people's gestures, the sounds and rhythms of their speech, the pervading scent of a place, the number of steps to a particular church. My husband is a keen photographer and takes pictures not only for himself but also for me: not only the battlements and arrow-slits of a castle for a medieval such as A Knight's Vow, A Knight's Captive or my forthcoming A Knight's Enchantment, but strange shots of dustbins and public telephones and kiosks and then, teasingly, candid pictures of myself, sunhat jammed over my eyes, head down as I take copious notes.

We repeated this in Rhodes as I researched the Dodecanese islands for my early romantic suspense book, Night of the Storm, and my novella, A Secret Treasure. The heroine of A Secret Treasure is an intelligent, sensitive young woman and keen cook in a high-pressure situation so I approached my research through Eve's eyes, noting how stark the contrast between shade and sun at midday, between the bustle and crowds of Rhodes Old Town and the pine-fretted quiet of Ancient Kamiros, where fragile orchids grow along the edges of the paths, learning how delicious grilled meat can taste, liberally sprinkled with fresh lemon juice and rigani, or how thorny and close-packed Greek heathland is.

Back home, the temptation is to use every scrap of my notes and then my writer's day is one of choice, because to put everything in would be fatal. My fiction is suspenseful, romantic, active: to stem the flow with a stodge of travelogue material would be a huge mistake - which isn't to say I don't commit such blunders! Usually then I spend a significant proportion of the next day taking out what I put in - a task which often inspires me to try even harder as I aim to get the most out of what I really love doing: writing.

(The Roman bikini picture is from the Villa del Casale, Piazza Armerina, Sicily (source: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).)

Research v Testimony

2009-11-23T18:10:00.000-08:00

I love to talk to people and hear their stories. Research is important to get the facts, but there is nothing like personal testimony to add feeling and realism to your writing.
There is a down side.

First, you have to assume the person is telling the truth. Then you have to assume he is remembering the facts right. One patient I have always gets sympathy by claiming " I was injured in Nam"
t is true, he was injured in Vietnam, after he stole a jeep, got drunk and ran it into a tree.

When dealing with personal testimony, you deal with faulty memory, mixed facts and slanted information.

One client told me about being AWOL when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He met a woman and stayed the night at her place instead of going back to the Arizona. The act of rebellion saved his life, but left him with survivor guilt.
I can't think of a reason why he would lie about this. when gathering personal testimony it is important to weigh the facts with what is possible on an individual basis.

Even if the information isn't 100% accurate, opinions enrich the characters.
Canisters of mustard gas was sunk into the ocean after WWI. It was the opinion of one man that the canisters are breaking open and this is why we have such a problem with red tide.
Possible? The mustard gas indeed affected breathing as does red tide. Is it caused by a contaminate or is it naturally occurring?

One subject I couldn't resist asking my patients was how dating was different fifty years ago as opposed to now. History will tell you attitudes changed because of birth control and the sexual revolution, but I will never forget the sadness in my patients eyes when she took my hand and explained how women have hurt themselves over the years.

she explained how romance was bled from courtship. Sex was a stagnant act, something to do when there was nothing on the TV. commitment has flown away on the breeze because couples no longer take the time to build a relationship. They want it all too fast, and love is something that can't be rushed.
she felt genuine sympathy for the new generation of women, because in a desire to be equal, to be strong, we abandoned the joy of being feminine.

Men instinctively care for us, they protect us. In our struggle to be more like them, we forgot who we are and made it more confusing to deal with us. In 1912, the Titanic sank. It was not debated, women and children were given the life boats. men accepted death with courage and dignity, certain they were acting with honor.

In 2000 men answered a questionnaire, many would not be willing to give a woman his seat on the life boat. many see no problem with striking a woman, especially if she hits first.

Maybe she is old fashioned and maybe the circumstances vary person to person. Research gives the facts, but testimony pumps the blood into the heart.
As writers, its up to us to strike a balance.

Notes from the desk of a new author.

2009-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well the first thing I should address is how long can you call yourself "new"? I've been writing for years, but this is the first year I've actually been published. Since the January release of my first title 'The Millionaire's Fake Fiancee' I've had 4 other titles released and contracted 3 more. So for all intents and purposes I'm still new and learning my way around publishing, which leads me to the notes piled around my desk.

For aspiring and new authors like me there are so many questions and not enough answers. Should I go the traditional route? Is e-publishing the way for me? To agent or not to agent? How do authors promote their books? How do you protect yourself from piracy?

To begin with you have to think of writing like any other craft. If you've never picked up a needle and thread making a beautiful intricate quilt might seems like an impossible feat. And if you've never held a brush before would really expect to become the next Picaso? Writing can be viewed much the same way. For an aspiring or new author reading the so called 'rules' and looking at an 80,000 word count goal it can seem overwhelming. But when you break things down it doesn't feel so formidable.

Being new to publishing myself I've spent some time dwelling on the questions

above and other bouncing around in my cluttered mind. So here is what I've learned so far.

1.) Only you can decide which publishing road to take.
2.) I'm still undecided on the agent question.
3.) Rules can be broken if done right.
4.) Promotion is still a wonder to me.

I will say that when I was reasearching publishers and the differences between print and e-publishing (besides the obvious of course)one of the most reoccuring comment I heard was read, a lot. Especially from the publishing houses you intend to submit to. this will help you determine if your voice fits in with their style. Since I'm and avid reader I've figured I'm set there.

So onto the second comment I kept hearing. Write what you know. So my goal has been to find ways to merge what I know with what I love. Hence the creation of my Brazen Sister Series. Coming from a big family I decided to show readers how much fub and annoying growing up with siblings can be. In this case 6 sisters are trying to remodel the family's lodge and cabins and switch their clientel from sportsmen to people looking for a romantic getaway in the woods with no interuptions. They don't expect the men who come along so it adds twists and turns none of them are ready for.

I admit I've broken some of those rules I've read so much about. One of the things I like being about a writer is I get to make all the decsions. Being able to choose how the characters react is important to the flow of the story, but I'm the one directing them. not neccesarily in the way most people might expect or want, but the one thing growing up in big family has taught me was to expect the unexpected.

So with my goal of adding what I know to my writing I now have a new goal.

Promoting!

More next month on that subject.

Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
http://www.RitaSawyer.com

Five Reasons to Love Revisions

2009-11-18T05:27:00.000-08:00

Writing is fun but revising what you’ve written…let’s just say it can be a major pain the butt. But it also has it pluses. I once hated the revising part of creating a book but here are five reasons why I’ve embraced it.

View Your Work From a New Perspective
I’ll make a confession right here, when I was a new writer I never listened to this sage advice. The one about not starting on your second draft for at least two weeks after you’ve finished your manuscript. Now I’ve gone to the extreme and wait at least a month until I take a second look. When I open the file and start to read it’s almost as if someone else wrote the work. I look at it from a different perspective and with a more critical eye.

You Become a Better Writer
You’re writing should improve with not only with each book you write but each draft you create. Each revision you tackle makes you a stronger writer. If you don’t believe me, read something you penned a year ago. Yes, even a published book or story, and tell me what you think. If you’re like me you’ll feel some embarrassment that you actually used to write like that.

A Different and Better Story Might Emerge
When you get to the revision stage of your manuscript you might realize you’re writing the wrong type of story. Maybe you intended it to be a romance, but it’s taken on a whole new life and now it could be a top rate mystery. Or you might realize you’re writing in the wrong POV.

You Don’t Waste Time
Revision is oftentimes a reality check. Did you have some doubts about the story while you were writing? On the second draft you know this one’s not going to make it and you move on to something more worthwhile and productive.

It Means You’re A Working Writer
Lots of people say they’re going to write a book, few actually do. If you get to the revision stage of the manuscript, congratulations, you’ve written a book!

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author. Her fourth novel, Sleeping with Fairies will be released by Lyrical Press on December 21st, 2009. Her short mystery story, The Bake Sale Caper will be published by Woman’s World magazine on December 12th. She’s currently working on two contemporary romances and two historical novellas. Find out more about Susan and her writing at www.susanpalmquist.com

Stephen King: what the master of horror teaches about romance

2009-11-16T13:25:00.000-08:00

I got busted reading "Carrie" in science class. I trembled with the thought of surviving a pandemic with "The Stand."

Stephen King: A romantic hero? Maybe atypical but absolutely! Let’s look at why:
Stephen knows loss. He grew up with an absentee father and a mother who took charge, a woman who made her living working hard and caring for her sons. She tended to her children's mental and spiritual health as well as caring for her extended family. A woman who provided an inspiration of strength for those who knew her. She died far too young. A loss a young man shouldn't have to face, but her strength was passed on to her children. instead of blaming the fates, they carried on.

His modest background gave him sensitivity to the working class and some vital insight about the human condition.
Stephen went to college He worked his way through school as a janitor.
It was in college Stephen met Tabitha. As writers they connected.He admired her for her intelligence and creativity, as she is a writer as well. It was Tabitha who rescued "Carrie" from the trash and demanded her husband finish the manuscript. He was smart enough to listen to his wife, and finished the work.

He has loved and dedicated his life to his lady, Tabitha, his college sweetheart. Together they’ve faced and overcome his drug addiction and the physical challenges that came from a severe motor vehicle accident.
He has been a father to his children for the long haul.

He has overcome personal tragedy and offered support to budding authors with his "On writing" book.He fought a drug addiction during his marriage. It takes courage to admit you have a problem and to ask for help. It is even more courageous to make private pain public so others can be inspired to seek help too, even though doing this gives the mean spirited an easy target.
Stephen was given another horrific challenge when he was hit by a car. Months in physical therapy allowed him to walk again, but the steps were slow, a grueling struggle to heal. Despite the damage to his body Stephen didn’t fall into despair. The self is the greatest enemy, the love of his family his greatest asset. Tabitha was with him every step of the way, no matter how trying.

Horror is all around us. We see the evils humans do; it drags us into emotional mire. Hearing the news is enough to make us want to hide under our beds or just get through the day so we can make it back to the sanctuary of our homes. Through it all love makes it bearable, infusing us with the power to look evil in its face and claim victory. The master of horror, by his own strength and perseverance is the model of a true hero.

The Paranormal in my Historical Romances

2009-10-28T05:31:00.000-07:00

Paranormal elements creep into almost all of my fiction. Why? Because eerie, hair standing up on the back of the neck moments do happen in life, Also because I place my characters into strange situations and unusual settings, where their senses are heightened to an almost supernatural state.
In real life, people can experience extraordinary things. A woman I know of was passing a man on a staircase and a thought entered her mind: this is the man you are going to marry. She dismissed the idea as absurd - but it happened and they are still married. In life, people under stress can do extraordinary, almost superhuman things. The woman after a car crash lifting an engine block to free her trapped child beneath. We can all experience feelings of disquiet, of something being 'off'. We can all have dreams which can stalk us.
This is very much the stuff of fiction. Romance especially lends itself to the paranormal and supernatural. When we are in love we feel to be in a transfigured state: all senses and emotions are heightened. In addition, I write romantic suspense, where my characters are in danger and those warning senses we have are on high alert. I also write romance set in the past, at times in the far distant past, where beliefs in spirits, strange creatures, omens and gods were part of everyday life.
In modern life we tend to separate religion and state. In the past belief in supernatural forces, particularly malign supernatural forces, was far stronger. How else could people in the ancient world make sense of what happened to them and around them? When the causes of illness were not understood it would seem logical that an outside influence - an angry god or an evil spirit - had targeted that person or that animal.
Belief is a powerful force. If a character believes he or she can do something out of the ordinary, then sometimes they can. In my historical fiction I use the beliefs of my characters to allow them to tap into something larger than themselves. This 'something' can be a thing of delight or of terror. It is the wonder of the story-teller, used in tales before humans devised writing. And when we did begin to write, ghost stories, paranormal stories 'spooky' stories, were among the earliest tales we committed to clay, papyrus or parchment.
Here are a few paranormal moments from my novels. The first is based on an ancient Roman ghost story of a haunted house, which I adapted to use in 'Flavia's Secret'. In this excerpt, the paranormal is used to show wonder and delight in a special, secret place; a place where Flavia finds the strength to tell Marcus her own deadly secret.

EXCERPT:

Walking quickly, to show that she did not regret her decision to share this place with him, Flavia returned along the twisting beaten-earth path between the rampant rosemary and lavender bushes. One more twist of the path and they reached the heart of the garden and its startling secret—a private outdoor pool, its shimmering waters steaming in the sun.
‘By Mithras, what a place.’ Looking around, Marcus halted beside her, dropping onto his knees to test the waters of the deep, lead-lined pool. ‘It’s hot!’ he exclaimed, shaking moisture from his hand.
Flavia pointed to a large lead pipe leading away from the pool in the direction of the deserted house before it was lost in the luxuriant undergrowth.
‘We think the owner fixed a conduit somewhere off the spring waters of the Aesculapius spring and directed some of the thermal water here,’ she explained. ‘The pool drains somewhere, too, but we do not know where.’
Marcus sat back on his heels. ‘We?’
‘Those of us who come here, when we can.’
‘Your own private bathing place.’ Marcus jumped to his feet again and walked around the marbled perimeter of the pool. ‘I am surprised nobody has tried to make money with it.’
‘We are careful who we tell,’ Flavia said, squashing disappointment at Marcus’ mercenary approach, but he was staring across the sun-gilded water at the leaf-strewn timber portico leading to the deserted house.
‘I am not surprised at that,’ he said quietly. ‘It is beautiful.’
He watched a small breeze tumble a bronze oak leaf along a small marble walkway leading from the semi-derelict portico to the edge of the pool. ‘Mysterious, quite eerie, but also...comforting. As if you are in an entirely different world.’ He turned about, pointing to the sparkling spiders’ webs on the lavender bushes, rimed with heavy dew. ‘Somewhere forgotten by the rest of the city. A place where magical things become possible.’
‘You understand,’ Flavia whispered, breathing out in relief.
He smiled. ‘It is more than likely that the old owner saw an easy chance to grab some free hot water, but what he has made here, what time has made...I am not surprised he was thought to be a sorcerer.’
Marcus held out both hands to her. ‘Thank you for sharing this, and be assured—your secret with be safe in my keeping.’
Flavia walked to the edge of the secret pool and joined him in studying the waters.

In 'Bronze Lighting,' set in Bronze Age Europe, many characters believe in and practice magic. Here Fearn and Sarmatia, hero and heroine, are taking part in a sky ritual, a dangerous rite that they believe may unmask a murderer.

EXCERPT:

By this time it was early evening. A pall of dark clouds had gathered over the Sacred Hill. The sun hung over the eastern hills like a bloodstained shield. Fearn looked up at the sky.
'The God will come here when I summon him and we must be ready. Each of you strip off your gold, your silver and bronze. The Sky God does not like the gleam of metal on others.'
He lifted the bronze diadem from his head and laid it on the grass. 'Pile your ornaments here together. Give it to the earth for safekeeping. Quickly!'
At his command, Atterians broke their circle and came to heap their metal broaches, swords, arrows, arm-rings and finger-rings upon the King's diadem. Sarmatia watched Laerimmer take off his golden throat disc and glanced down at her own bronze ring, reluctant to remove it. Looking up, she saw Fearn walking towards her.
'Must I take off my ring?' she asked in Kretan as he reached her. Fearn answered in the same tongue.
'I fear so, Sarmatia.' He looked at her. Men were still gathered about the growing heap of metal. He and Sarmatia had a moment together.
'What is this ritual?'
'Nothing you need fear, Sarmatia. The Sky God knows our hearts. He does not touch those who are innocent. Twice now as King I've been asked to do this rite. The God may take some of our metal as sacrifice and payment, but that's a small thing for the truth.'
Sarmatia took off her bronze ring and gave it to Fearn. 'You must put this with the rest, Fearn. I can't.’ Then, although she already sensed the answer, she asked, 'Is the Sky God the same whose shrine is the Great Stone Circle?'
'It's the same God. And this is the rite the southern kingdoms have forgotten.' He turned and left her.

There are gods in my novels, too. In 'Blue Gold' the gods of ancient Egypt watch mankind from the sun-boat that crosses the sky each day and they sometimes interfere more directly.

EXCERPT:

“What happens now?” asked Astarte-with-the-moon-in-her-hair.
The eastern goddess of love was paying another visit to the sun boat of Ra. She thought the climate good for her complexion.
The blue god Amun, casting an admiring glance at the silver-haired goddess’s shapely long legs, mumbled something about a race. He ran his hands through a thick fleece of cloud, parting it with his fingers. “Look below us. There is my Pharaoh, a true Egyptian.”
“Ah yes. Sekenenre. The king who toils like an ant. He certainly looks to be making haste.”
Astarte leaned forward, the corners of her eyes crinkling at the sight of Sekenenre and his retinue of priests running their chariots again and again at the same high dune instead of doing the sensible thing of going round it. At her high vantage point, the fifteen chariots moving with such fanatical haste from the small water course where they had hidden their ship looked bizarre, like weevils.
No one on the sun boat reproved or remarked on the goddess’s comments. Those long, shapely legs were even better when she bent over the gunwale. From the middle of the boat came a muffled exclamation as the soul of the long dead Pharaoh Unas dropped the sun god’s fan.
“Fool of a mortal,” said old Ra sharply, squirming on his throne, crossing hands over thighs.
Astarte looked round over one shoulder and smiled, but she reserved her warmest look for Amun. “He is a long way from Thebes, your Sek-en-enre. Did you send a dream to instruct him? Does this true Egyptian know where he is going?”
“Pay no attention to anything Amun says. Sekenenre’s dash into the desert is due entirely to me.” Set materialized at her elbow. He directed Astarte to look over the other side of the boat. “Here’s my man.”
Aweserre’s chariot scuttled jauntily along below them.

In ‘Blue Gold’ when these two pharaohs meet, it is a clash of arms, force and beliefs and it leads to the unleashing of more paranormal forces.

Happy Halloween!

Lindsay
http://www.lindsaytownsend.net

Stephen King Tribute

2009-10-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

Stephen King: What the master of horror teaches about romance.

I got busted reading "Carrie" in science class. I trembled with the thought of surviving a pandemic with "The Stand."

Stephen King: A romantic hero?
Maybe atypical but absolutely! Let’s look at why:

Stephen knows loss. He grew up with an absentee father and a mother who took charge, a woman who made her living working hard and caring for her sons. She tended to her children's mental and spiritual health as well as caring for her extended family. A woman who provided an inspiration of strength for those who knew her. She died far too young. A loss a young man shouldn't have to face, but her strength was passed on to her children. instead of blaming the fates, they carried on. His modest background gave him sensitivity to the working class and some vital insight about the human condition.

Stephen went to college He worked his way through school as a janitor.
It was in college Stephen met Tabitha. As writers they connected.He admired her for her intelligence and creativity, as she is a writer as well. It was Tabitha who rescued "Carrie" from the trash and demanded her husband finish the manuscript. He was smart enough to listen to his wife, and finished the work. He has loved and dedicated his life to his lady, Tabitha, his college sweetheart. Together they’ve faced and overcome his drug addiction and the physical challenges that came from a severe motor vehicle accident.

He has been a father to his children for the long haul.
He has overcome personal tragedy and offered support to budding authors with his "On writing" book.He fought a drug addiction during his marriage. It takes courage to admit you have a problem and to ask for help. It is even more courageous to make private pain public so others can be inspired to seek help too, even though doing this gives the mean spirited an easy target.
Stephen was given another horrific challenge when he was hit by a car.

Months in physical therapy allowed him to walk again, but the steps were slow, a grueling struggle to heal. Despite the damage to his body Stephen didn’t fall into despair. The self is the greatest enemy, the love of his family his greatest asset. Tabitha was with him every step of the way, no matter how trying.

Horror is all around us. We see the evils humans do; it drags us into emotional mire. Hearing the news is enough to make us want to hide under our beds or just get through the day so we can make it back to the sanctuary of our homes. Through it all love makes it bearable, infusing us with the power to look evil in its face and claim victory.

The master of horror, by his own strength and perseverance is the model of a true hero.

2009-10-23T18:35:00.000-07:00

testing

Secondary Characters…why you need them

2009-10-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I’m in the middle of reading a book and wish the writer would have given more on stage time to one of the secondary characters. Sometimes they’re just as lovable as the main characters. Many times they’re the villains of the novel. Either way they’re fun to read and even more fun to create.

Here’s why I think secondary characters are needed in very book-

They Move The Plot
One of the rules of top notch writing is to move the plot with every sentence. Adding a colorful secondary character allows you to do just that. It might be a conversation between the hero/heroine and the secondary character. Or it could be a scene where the secondary character tells someone about the main character and what happened to them.

They Add A Touch of Evil
Remember your main character can’t be all bad or all good because readers won’t believe they’re real. Therefore, adding a villain into the mix can add justify their actions. The main character might be in pursuit of the villain, they might be tested by this character. They might even be forced to save the world by taking the villain’s life. The main character is able to show their true colors by interacting with this villain and it’s believable.

They Take It Up a Notch
In my mystery novel, Death Likes Me, one of my favorite characters apart from my main character, Niki Webber is Joel Clancy. He’s cute’ he’s a bad boy who by story’s end gets himself into a bunch of trouble. However, he’s a perfect sparring partner for Niki. Some of my favorite scenes are between Niki and Joel and the words they throw at one another. Joel brings out another side of Niki’s character and without his help I couldn’t have shown the reader who Niki really is and what she stands for.

They Can Make a Sub Plot
If you’re writing a longer novel, you need a sub plot. What better way to weave that into your story than with another character and a mini story that interacts with the main story line.

They’re Just Plain Fun
Even if you’re writing a dark novel, adding a secondary character along with some humor can add more depth to your book and break up the tension. After all no reader likes all doom and gloom.

One to Check Out
One of my all time favorite characters and TV shows is Inspector Morse. Morse is the creation of writer Colin Dexter. Pick up one of his novels or watch some Inspector Morse reruns and see what great secondary characters Dexter creates. He’s also one of the best writers when it comes to sub plots too.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of romance and mystery novels. Her next novel, Sleeping with Fairies is due for release later this year. As well as blogging at Romance Writers in the Rough, she also writes a monthly blog at Between the Lines called ‘Susan Palmquist Interviews’. Her next short mystery story will appear in the December 7th issue of Woman’s World. To learn more about her and to see a preview of the cover of Sleeping with Fairies, visit her Web site at www.susanpalmquist.com

The Romance of Uniforms

2009-09-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was chatting on the phone to a girl-friend. She mentioned her significant other was doing a plumbing job and had put on his overalls. 'He looks really good in them, too,' she said.

I agreed that men in overalls are sexy. Then I admit, 'Men in any kind of uniform are sexy to me. A paramedic in his greens, a musician in his tux, a doctor in a white coat, a policeman.'

'Face it, you're easy,' she said, and we both laughed.

Afterwards I considered the romance of uniforms. What is it that I find so
appealing?

I suppose the following:

Military Uniforms - Army, RAF, Navy - these men are trained to protect me.
Police Uniforms - these men are trained to protect me and to assist me.
Paramedic uniforms - these men are trained to help me.

All of the above may also be involved in high stakes, life and death situations. And the other men in uniform? The overall boys? The overall uniform suggests competence and skill and commitment. Men who are masters in their craft.

So yes, all uniforms are sexy to me.

I also think women's uniforms are amazing and that all women in the services and medical professions are equally worthy of respect and admiration.

Armor, too, is another great uniform.

One uniform I'd have loved to wear is that of a pirate!

How about you?

Lindsay
Lindsay Townsend http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Entering Writing Contests…worth the effort or not?

2009-09-16T05:46:00.000-07:00

You see a writing contest advertised. You have the perfect entry, so should you go for it?

From a personal viewpoint, I’d have to say, yes.

Writing contests have been good to me. In fact, the first money I ever made as a writer was from a contest. And here are some other reasons why I think entering a contest is worth the effort.

You Learn to Meet Deadlines
If you’re new to writing (yes, some well established writers struggle with this too), one thing you have to do is work to an editor’s deadline. By entering a contest, you get firsthand experience in turning in work on a certain date. Plus, if you need some extra motivation to finish a story or even get something started, a contest deadline might be the extra kick in the butt you need.

Free Critiques
Well, if the contest has an entry fee it’s not entirely free but either way if you’re a new writer or changing genres, entering a contest can give you some valuable feedback. Sometimes the critique will even come from an editor or agent. They might tell you what you’re doing wrong, what you need to work on. Who knows their advice might even lead to a contract.

Your Work Gets Read
More publishers are going the agent only route when it comes to submissions, even some agents are getting picking about who can and who can’t send them work. Enter a contest and just the right editor or agent might see your work. It might be someone who’s looking for a particular story, a particular voice and that story or voice might be yours.

You Can Earn Some Money
Just like me, winning a contest might even garner you your first paycheck as a writer.

If You Win
If you win the contest or even just the runner up, it’s proof that you have talent; that you stand out from the crowd. You know you’re on the right track so keep writing.

You Get to Say…
You’re an award winning writer. It gets attention…it has a nice sound to it!

Susan Palmquist won the Loft Children’s Literature Award with her book for children called The One and Only that was later published by Hearts on Fire Books. She has also been the runner up in more short story contests than she can remember. Last year she was one of the 12 finalists in the Harry Bowling Prize for When the Devil Comes to Call, one of her many WIPs. Look for her next novel Sleeping with Fairies this December from Lyrical Press. For sneak peek at the cover, visit her Web site at www.susanpalmquist.com.

Historical romance and romantic suspense

2009-08-26T03:00:00.000-07:00

Why do I write romantic suspense and historical romance? I love both genres because I like writing adventure and action and characters under extreme stress. I suppose all my novels are romantic suspense novels as well as some being historical romance novels. In my Bronze Lightning there is a mysterious villain threatening the female lead whom she has to battle against and finally unmask - like a romantic suspense. My second 'big' ancient Egyptian novel Blue Gold has at its core a religious mystery: the protagonists have to discover the true nature of the god Set, a search which leads to many adventures in strange and exotic locations - romantic suspense element again. In my Flavia's Secret there is the mystery of the death of Flavia's beloved mistress and an enemy working against Flavia and Marcus. In A Knight's Vow, Alyson must battle with Fulk, who works against her both in secret and finally overtly. In A Knight's Captive, the hero and heroine are in conflict because the hero is Breton and the heroine is English - and this is 1066, when England was invaded by Normans.

I suppose all my novels are romantic because they all have this quest/search/adventure motifs. I think all romance genres have similar elements to each other. My first published novel, Voices in the Dark, has a saga element because there are families involved and trouble goes down the generations (this is also true of The English Daughter). The second novel, Night of the Storm , has two romances and is more a romantic suspense than a romantic suspense, as is my novella A Secret Treasure. In romantic suspense you must have the menace and suspense there as a continuous strand, alongside the equally important relationships in the novel. These relationships, particularly the romance between hero and heroine can be brought under stress, threatened and changed by the thriller elements of the novel. The thriller elements can give you wonderful reasons for characters to be brought into sharp conflict as they each suspect the other or maybe want to protect each other but can’t. This conflict is very entertaining for the reader and writer because it’s always life and death stuff and usually two characters at odds because they’re both right. You haven’t got them arguing for the sake of it. Their choices through the story at key points are also very pointed, very stark, with big consequences, and I like that, too. I guess I’m not subtle!

Romantic suspense writing and historical romance writing are both very active genres and I like to have both my female and male leads rescuing each other at key points through the story, whether in active terms or psychological terms. The search and rescue strands in my books are always very strong.

In my novels I also have a strong whodunit element. The whodunit is also a whydunit, as with novels of psychological suspense (which I suppose are more intense, more character-driven versions of romantic suspense, where the threats arise from internal kinks in the characters rather than any external forces, as there can be in romantic thrillers. In my Night of the Storm, the storm is a vital element, adding something unplanned and chaotic and a further test for my people. To get the whodunit part right I always spend a long time at the start of plotting any novel working out who the villain is and why. I work out motivations and give my people backstories which I know, even if they don’t appear directly in the novel. It can add depth and richness to characters and make them intriguingly ambiguous. The ambiguous Byronic-style anti-hero who turns out to be a good guy is a staple in these novels and great fun to write and read about.

You can do romantic suspense another way, too, as I did with Night of the Storm, where the heroine, Melissa, knew that the villain, Katherine, was engaged in illegal wildlife trafficking, but had to search for the evidence to prove it. I also added a very personal element for Melissa, in that she’s also searching for whoever murdered her partner Andrew. I find in romantic suspense that the big issue brought into focus by making it personal works very well. So in Voices in the Dark I had my hero searching for a war criminal who tortured members of her own family. Personal helps readers to identify, I think.

The other bonus I find with writing romantic thrillers is that you usually can have an exotic location, or moderately so. This isn’t just because the setting is appealing to readers, giving them a bit of escapism. Sometimes it’s useful for the plot, too. Italy is popular as a holiday destination and it also has regular corruption scandals, which meant my heroine in Voices in the Dark had a very good reason not to go rushing to the police at the start of her search. That question: why doesn’t the female lead go to the police? I find must always be answered in a modern romantic suspense. Again, I’d no problems in my second novel, because the climax of the novel takes place on a small Greek island, cut off from the authorities by a massive storm.

So to summarise: the recurring elements in my romantic suspense amd historical romance are:

1. Strong, active female lead and male lead. Both might have added internal psychological kinks to their natures, just to increase the mixture.

2. A problem that needs a quest or search to be resolved.

3. Exotic locations where the police cannot easily be present, so your people have to search and find out and also save themselves. (In historical settings the police may not exist.)

4. Whodunit element which has to be worked out, otherwise the leads may perish. That threat I find very engaging and a pleasure to write, as you can have a building series of climaxes and a really juicy ending.

5. Backstories that have a direct bearing on the present novel.

6. Characters that are grey, not black and white. Sometimes the male lead can seem a villain, sometimes the female lead can do seemingly bizarre things, which are later accounted for in the novel.

7. Lots of action and violence. Woman against nature, woman against woman, woman against man. I like writing both and was told to cut down on the torture sequences in Voices in the Dark.

8. Relationships that change, are built up or destroyed through the novel, often as a direct result of the thriller elements and threats of the story.

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

How to Keep Writing When Life Gets in the Way

2009-08-19T05:48:00.000-07:00

This was a topic I was going to tackle in my blog later this year. However, if you’re a follower of the blog, you know I didn’t post anything in July because my mother passed away. I’m no stranger to putting aside my writing while I deal with a family illness. I quit writing when my father was battling pancreatic cancer. After he died, I thought I’d just get straight back to it but I couldn’t. It was almost a decade until I got back on track.
So when my mother was diagnosed with cancer three years ago, my first thought was, does this mean my writing has to go on hiatus again. My mother’s battle lasted a lot longer than my dad’s so it gave me time to prepare, time to think about how I would handle my writing commitments when her journey came to an end.

None of us are immune to life getting in the way of our writing. Whether it’s a family crisis, our own illness, or even happy events like marriages and births. Here are some tips I’ve learned along the way and I hope they help you when life gets in the way of your writing.

Write Every Day
One thing I did wrong when my dad was ill was not doing any writing at all. Sticking with a schedule is crucial and it’s even more important when something else is happening in your life. It might not be your usual output, but get something down on paper. Even if it’s just your feelings about what’s happening in your life. Capture it and who knows you might be able to use it some day.

Don’t Get Angry
After my dad died and I sat down to write and nothing happened, I used to turn my frustration inwards. What’s wrong with me? I used to ask myself. Nothing was wrong, I just needed more time. If I’d allowed myself to take some time away instead of rushing back to it, I don’t think my writer’s block would have lasted quite so long.

Use The Time Wisely
Another thing I learned the first time around was when you’re not writing on your usual schedule, it’s the perfect time to think ahead. What manuscripts are you going to work on next month, next year? Jot down ideas for plots, profiles of characters you’re going to create. Write a ‘business plan’ for your writing career. What are your goals, how are you going to achieve them?

Writing Can Be Healing
So what’s different this time around? I did take some time off, but was able to get back on track within a week of mom’s passing. I didn’t rush back because of my fear about what happened last time, but now I’m finding it’s actually healing. These are early days and I know some are going to be better than others, but creating characters and writing about them and their lives gives me something to think about other than myself and my loss.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of three published novels and the upcoming paranormal romance, Sleeping With Fairies to be published later this year by Lyrical Press. Visit her Web site at www.susanpalmquist.com

sex v romance

2009-08-17T16:39:00.001-07:00

It's my pet peeve. I read a romance and it feels like porn. Instead of the heroine being courted, some horny, overzealous stud is talking to her like she's the class tramp and he's a hormonal high schooler.

It's all personal opinion, of course, but I would like to be romanced not propositioned like a street walker. Maybe its why I like historicals. The manners, the more elegant way of speaking, and the societal restraints make the tension more delicious and the hero far more charming than a contemporary. Add to the fact I would like for the love scene to make sense. If I have been kidnapped, beaten and shoved in a box I will be thinking escape not "my you have a nice ass."

In an attempt to up the sensuality levels, some writers forget the wooing, the actual romantic part of the story. The part that makes me sigh and fall in love with the hero.

First is the once over. The first meeting, the first glimpse of the potential lover, or at least the first time the character might think of the person as a potential lover. The face, the physique, the voice all affect the character.

"His deep voice enveloped her in warmth like a mink stole. Had she ever noticed the forest green of his eyes or how a simple thing like a gesture could make her melt."
Again personal preference, but there is sublte then there is:
"Who was the hot girl walking into the bar? his contact? All Jake wanted to do was reach beyond the tightness of her skirt and sink himself into her depths, while she screamed his name"
Too much too soon.

I don't mind a little screaming, but can we get a name first? My heroine deserves to be won. Her love would spring from a respect for the hero, sure he's handsome, but so was Ted Bundy. More than just appearance, his heart should be beautiful and give her something to fall in love with.

The touch of his hand, his nearness, and the first kiss should be memorable. A gentle kiss to her fingers, a cheek brushing the palm of her hand. Tenderness promising more, stoking a fire a step at a time.

Finally, sex is beautiful, there is longing, passion and a loss of control, but above it all there is nurturing, respect, and a platform for love to grow. Women are emotional. Please give me a hero who will like me, really like me, because of who I am not because I have a nice rack. Two people who are strong together and love each other despite who they are. Acceptance. Commitment. It's old fashioned, but its my idea of romance.

New Release

2009-08-16T17:59:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
I just wanted to let you know "Kindertransport" is available at The Wild Rose Press now.

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/kindertransport-p-3543.html Paste this link to the address bar to find it.

I included an excerpt, enjoy:

I filled a syringe with morphine. Could innocent blood ever be washed away?
Would my hands ever be clean again if I continued on this course? The gas would make them choke, gasping for breath as life was strangled to nothingness. Morphine would make them euphoric, and an overdose would put them to sleep, peacefully, with no pain.

A sleep from which they would not awake, but they would be safe from the evil that awaited them otherwise. I filled the second syringe. I thought of each child as I punctured the rubber stopper, the needle sucking up the lethal fluid filling the tube.
Little Wilhelm. My treasured leader of the pack. The braces on his legs never stopped his imagination from soaring.

Lara. An artist’s soul expressed with the one good hand she had. Art reflective of the beauty living in her heart.

The twins. Isn’t intelligence measured with creativity? I would sorely miss their energy.
My hand slipped., and the needle grazed the knuckle of my thumb. I swore and bit my lip. Perfect. I’ll kill myself before I get a chance to euthanize my children. Then, after I enter Heaven’s gate, if He lets me inside them, God can tell me I am an idiot and a murderer.

I rubbed my shoulders. They hunched with an invisible weight that made my back ache.

Sagas and Saga Writing

2009-07-26T03:12:00.000-07:00

1. What is a saga? In today’s fiction market a saga is part of the larger romantic genre. A saga is a family story, usually set some time in the past and focussing on several characters from the same or contrasting extended family and following their ups and downs over many years - possibly down several generations. Nowadays, the regional saga, homing in on a particular geographical region in the UK, is very popular.

2. What is the common length of a saga? 100,000 words and upwards. This length is to accommodate the various storylines that a saga plot usually encompasses. Anything over 150,000 words may become harder to sell, because of printing and paper costs. Usually, sagas are between 110,000 - 130,000 words in length.

3. What kind of viewpoints within a saga? Usually third person plural, often with a woman, or several women, as the main and ‘leading’ protagonists. Writers have written sagas from single third person viewpoint and from first person, but the third person plural, where the reader can enter the heads and thoughts of many characters, remains popular. Usually only the main characters’ viewpoints are explored - perhaps no more than 6 or 8. After that, readers tend to become confused and the story can lose power since the readers aren’t sure who are the main characters with whom they are expected to follow.

4. Time periods when sagas are set. ‘Period’ settings were and remain very popular - I.e. Victorian, Edwardian and World War I. These time frames have been done a lot, so it might be more difficult for a new writer to break into the saga market with those time periods. More recent time settings - WWII, 1950s, even 1960s are becoming popular.
If you want a good example of strong regional sagas based around WWII, take a look at Freda Lightfoot’s sagas. Freda specialises in regional settings, unusual occupations for her heroines and times of strife before, during and after WWII, when many women worked in jobs that had been previously done almost exclusively by men. This scenario and the time period gives Freda lots of scope for trouble and strife. In her novel ‘Gracie‘s Sin,’ she looks at women in WWII who worked in forestry land, doing what had been men’s work.
Freda researches her novels by talking to the women who worked in either the mills, or the timber areas, or whatever job her fictional characters have to do. From these talks she gains insight and the telling detail that she can thread into her work. Sometimes she is given photographs to borrow or keep. In the case of her novel ‘Gracie’s Sin,’ she was given a photo of a group of timber girls that appeared as part of the cover art of the novel.

Freda Lightfoot has a website at www.fredalightfoot.co.uk
Audrey Howard is another excellent saga writer, as are Benita Brown and Harry Bowling. Harry Bowling wrote London West End sagas full of strong, immediate settings and speech - not so much as to be impenetrable to those not from London, but enough to give a flavour. Cynthia Harrod-Eagles has written a long series of novels covering the fortunes of a particular family, (The Morland Dynasty) down from the middle ages to the present day. These are richly plotted novels that are excellent examples of the saga - the more ‘aristocratic’ type of saga. Cynthia has a website at www.twbooks.co.uk/authors/cheagles.html

For the outer reaches of the saga, and how you can adapt and extend the genre, take a look at Philippa Gregory’s ‘Wideacre’ trilogy. The first book ‘Wideacre’ has a wonderful Scarlet O’Hara ambiguous type heroine. The second novel, ‘The Favoured Child’ has many of the family elements of a saga - concern with family property, inheritance, birth-rights, family survival, births, marriages deaths - with a heroine who experiences an almost mystical union with the land that is her family’s. ‘Meridon’ completes the trilogy.

5. Conventions in sagas. These conventions have been done over and over and reappear, so if you are thinking of writing a saga you will need to apply them in a fresh way, find ways of writing about them in a fresh way.

1. Working class, lower middle class protagonists are common as the heroes and heroines of sagas, especially the regional saga. This helps reader identification. There is also an aspirational element in many sagas, where a working class hero or heroine struggles against overwhelming odds and privilege to win though. There may also be a clash of classes - working class verses upper, or perhaps working class and upper fall in love and are forbidden to see each other.

2. The heroine who is or who becomes her own woman, who develops and grows through the novel. She may have ideals from the start of come to have them. She may wish to excel ‘out of the box’ - that is, what is expected of her because of her class, or age, or experience.

3. The hero may have a similar story arc as the heroine (above) and he learns to appreciate the heroine. The brooding Heathcliffe-style hero is less popular now than in the past.

4. Characters who suffer, who learn, who are set back but usually ultimately win through. Villains may get their comeuppance.

5. Plot threads that go down through generations. A family secret. Revenge and counter-revenge. Forbidden love. Events that impact down generations. Enmity coming down generations. People living in the past and affecting the futures of themselves and their family members.

6. Heroine or hero or both may be wounded in some way - physically or psychologically - and the novel shows their healing, coming to terms. Other wounded characters within the saga may grow or diminish.

7. A ‘mirroring’ of stories down the generations - the 3 women thing, working either down the generations or as contrasting or mirroring characters all at the same time. 3 sisters. 3 cousins. 3 friends in the same street.

8. Suffering and set backs. Struggle against great odds. Grinding poverty. The good-heartedness or narrowness of other family members or neighbours.

9. Family ties and pressures - marriages, births, deaths. Whole lifetimes. Multiple subplots. A richness that readers can enjoy. Several key characters and their stories.

10. Various Cinderella type themes for both sexes. The plain girl in a society household who is made to feel useless and excluded. The young woman who wants to be a doctor when only nursing was considered acceptable for women. The man who wants to succeed in a world where privilege is considered essential. In sagas, the reader sees their struggles impact not only on themselves but on the larger family unit.

11. ‘Family’ can be thought of as extended family, or people who regard themselves as family - not just simple blood ties.

These are only guidelines and certainly not set in stone! If you want to learn more, have a look at the new blog group, Historical Saga Novels, http://historicalsaganovels.blogspot.com/ There are many wonderful writers of this rich and varied genre.

A new release

2009-07-23T19:35:00.001-07:00

On the 7th of August, Wild Rose Press will release “Kindertransport”.
This is a poignant story-taking place in pre war Nazi Germany.

Nurse Erika Lehmier cares for the children housed at Grafeneck Castle as though they were her own. When the SS confiscates Grafeneck, Erika discovers plans to turn the castle into a treatment center that will end the lives of children with disabilities.

One of her children, Heidi, has no visible handicap, and thereby has a small chance to escape the Nazi destruction, but for the rest, Erika must find a way to escape—or face the heartbreaking decision to give them a peaceful death by her own hand.

Will she find a way out?

Can she trust Rickard, when he wears an SS uniform?

A Break from the Blog

2009-07-15T05:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it's my turn to blog today but my mother passed away yesterday. I'm taking the week off from writing and blogging.
Take care, Susan

'Now and then': making the past seem present

2009-06-24T00:33:00.000-07:00

How to create a living past in a historical or contemporary romance is always a challenge for me. We all live both 'in the moment' and in the past of our memories and experiences, and in my writing I aim to transport my readers to another past, whether that past is recent or long ago.

This is what I do to aid the rebuilding of the past, and what I would suggest is useful.

1. Read the contemporary accounts of the period: sagas, chronicles, Books of Hours, histories, autobiographies, biographies, newspapers. magazines, letters, local histories, children's books. Absorb the style of the language used so that you can 'echo' it in your work - not always as a direct recreation, more a flavour. Note the popular expressions, the slang, the attitudes. Then you can have your characters speak some of the slang and reflect some of the attitudes.

If available, you can also look at films of the time, radio and TV broadcasts, postcards, photographs and the messages scribbled on the backs of photographs. Again note the rhythms and kind of speech, the attitudes and beliefs, the fashions and settings. Your local history library may have an oral sound archive or local history archives. You can go there to listen and to look. Street names can be treasure troves of history and evocative in themselves. Keep an eye out for them and use them if you can.

2. If writing about the recent past, talk to those who lived through it. Ask them specific questions. What was X like? What was it like, working and living then? How did people feel? What do they remember? Again, the local archives and newspapers may be a fund of information for you.

3. Use language in the straight narrative of your fiction that does not date - unless you are attempting an entire re-creation of a period by using the language of the period. In speech you can use the slang of the time, or what you feel could be the appropriate slang of the time. Georgette Heyer did this in her Regency historical romances: she devised what she felt could pass as expressions of the time, thereby adding intimacy and immediacy to her work.

4. If writing about more distant times, be careful of using a lot of olde-worlde expressions that may actually 'break the spell' of your now-past. You can suggest a present-past by putting in occasional expressions that imply a flavour of the time. Also your characters can reflect certain common attitudes of a period via their thoughts, actions and speech.

5. People have not changed so much yet in 35000 years. We still feel the same emotions: love, hate, fear, passion. The more you create living characters, the more you will transport your reader with them into the world of their sorrows, fears, hopes, dreams, wishes, aims and loves.

6. Put the reader into the past with you. Let them savour the flavours, music, passions, fashions, the main ideas and ideals of the time. Thread in these references. If some are difficult and offensive to present day audiences, then perhaps you can places such ideas in the minds and mouths of your secondary characters, or of your main characters if you can make your lead characters compelling and appealing in other ways. Have your characters humming a popular song, or drinking frothy coffee, or eating fondue or their first prawn cocktail. Seize upon those items, songs, fashions, flavours, that tend to 'sum up' a period for present-day readers. Make it personal, too - allow the reader to feel with the character how a mini-skirt feels, how constricting a corset is, how heavy and hot a suit of armour. Always show and give the reader the experience of being and living in your 'now' past.

Ny first publication

2009-06-23T18:25:00.000-07:00

My first publication:

I wish it were as simple as putting pen to paper and creating a masterpiece of literature.
I joined Romance Writers of America three years ago and quickly learned there was a lot to learn. Our chapter was invaluable with the workshops and business meetings. Our guest speakers shed light on different aspects of the craft and made the writing better.
The chapter members themselves are a constant source of support. I had a head bursting with story ideas and worked on about four projects at one time. I decided I had to commit to a manuscript, see it to “the end” and get with my critique partner.

The story facts are researched. Is there a murder? Brush up on police procedure. Is your heroine in bank security? Learn her job. Details make the story believable and put the reader in the characters shoes, experiencing what they experience.
The idea for my story came at a random moment. I read about a man asking if the Kindertransport could be included in a holocaust memorial, and he was told “I never heard of you.” this piqued my interest. I read more about the transport and researching led me to Grafeneck castle. An interesting place with its own a history. My story would take place in pre war Nazi Germany.

I knew my heroine right away. A nurse brought up to be compassionate. An innocent girl tossed into a circumstance beyond her control. Her faith challenged, she had to make a choice. Erika Lehmier learns Grafeneck castle is going to be changed from a monastery housing handicapped children to a killing center bent on destroying “useless eaters.”

My hero was more elusive at first. I thought American right away but the historical timeline wasn’t right. The story is set in 1939. American involvement wouldn’t happen for another two years. British? Possible but the last transport happened before the war started. My hero needed to be home grown. Nazi’s aren’t generally romantic heroes but what if he had an agenda? My decision to keep the story first person kept us out of our hero’s head but kept the heroine always wondering about him.

There were some challenges in writing about a place I had never been during a time before I was born. I interviewed a couple of war brides and read “Inside Nazi Germany.” to find out what life was like for the average person in 1939.

The word “honey” was never used in Europe. This term of endearment was an American import adopted by Europeans during the war. Being a southern girl, it was very difficult not to use the word. Of course, American slang and culture based expressions had to go. Germans are not “off base” nor do they “drop the ball” when they make a mistake. No Americanisms allowed. You don’t realize how often you use colloquialism until you have to go back and delete them all from a 300-page manuscript.

I wrote, rewrote, and reworked the story over again before I submitted. After torturing my critique partner, and a thousand rewrites, I was ready to submit my manuscript. I worked on my query letter and synopsis, and then I submitted. I got a very nice rejection recommending changes to make and a request to resubmit. I followed her instructions and resubmitted, it was then accepted.

I got to work with an editor and spent more time “fluffing and folding” until the manuscript was ready for print.
The book cover is beautiful. Grafeneck castle is seen in the background while the edelweiss flower is in the foreground, a faded swastika behind it. The symbolism of the edelweiss flower dominating a fading swastika: pure love’s domination over evil. Nicola Martinez is a wonderful artist.

Kindertransport is released on August the seventh from Wild Rose Press.

Ideas

2009-06-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a bunch of teenagers and the subject came up about how I keep track of my ideas for stories, or ideas for the story I'm currently working on. When I got home I began to wonder how many other authors have the same type of system I do?

1.) I have a few notebook strategically placed around the house, the biggest right beside my bed.
2.) I have a dry erase board in my office, but that is mainly my writing schedule( or what I wish it was).
3.) I'm working on two series that I'm working on. For these I have a poster board with sectioned by story and any important details listed under the right one.
4.) Whenever I come up with an interesting idea I jot it down, who knows when it might come in handy.

How many of you other authors out there have similar process for recording you random ideas?

Writing to Fit the Genre

2009-06-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

During a recent interview I was asked how I’m able to write both romances and mysteries. My first thought…writing is writing. Write in one genre and you can easily write in another. However, the next time I sat down to work on my WIP, I realized that’s not 100% true. Each genre has its own set of rules and ‘standards’. Knowing what the standards is essential if you want to sell in a particular genre. So how do you do just that?

Read
This might sound like something you already know or do, but read as many books in your genre of choice before you sit down to write one. Not only will you get a feel for the backbones of the genre but you’ll soon figure out what type of book you’d like to write. I’ll use mysteries and romances as examples.

Mysteries-do you like legal dramas or perhaps you’re hooked on books featuring an amateur sleuth.

Romances-are you a fan of romantic suspense or do you get whisked away to another time with historicals? And if you’re a fan of category romances, think about what line you’d like to write for. Is it Silhouette Romantic Suspense or maybe a sexy Harlequin Blaze?

Take Notes
The first time you read the book, do it just for pure reading pleasure. Then read it again with a notebook handy. Jot down notes about the hero/heroine, conflict, etc. then read a second book, making notes of any similarities to the first one. Do you see any pattern forming? While the stories are obviously very different, each genre has certain things readers and yes, publishers have come to expect.

Mysteries-a crime is committed. There’s a cast of suspects and a sleuth. And, yes, a few red herrings. In the end the guilty person is caught and hopefully punished for their crime.

Romance-there’s a heroine the reader can identify with and live vicariously through. A hero who both the heroine and reader can fall in love with. A conflict that keeps them apart and an issue they have to work out. Sexual tension is a must. How about that first kiss? And depending on the line or publisher, the first time the couple make love. And let’s not forget the happy ending.

Choose Favorites
Who are the genre’s bestsellers?
Pick up some books written by them and learn from the masters.Try and figure out what makes this particular writer so popular with their readers? Is it because each chapter is more suspenseful than the next? Is it because the author takes you on an emotional rollercoaster ride?

Some Publishers Make It Easier Than the Rest
Some publishers give us clues about what their ‘standards’ are. If a publisher offers guidelines, read them through until you know them by heart. Do they have a rigid word count? What type of plots are they looking for? What type of plots aren’t they looking for?

Writing to fit a genre can be the key to making your first or next sale.

Susan Palmquist is the author of three published novels and the upcoming paranormal romance, Sleeping with Fairies that will be published by Lyrical Press later this summer. You can check out her interviews with writers, editors and publishers at her monthly blog at Between the Lines www.blog.lyndacoker.net. And learn more about Susan and her work at www.susanpalmquist.com

The Long and The Short of It

2009-05-31T19:56:00.000-07:00

by Janis Susan May

Whenever I am asked to blog, I start to panic. My gracious host/hostess tries to be reassuring and says, “Oh, it’s nothing – just two or three hundred words, that’s all.”

Two or three hundred words? That’s ALL? There are days I can’t convey “Good morning, I would like some coffee please,” in two or three hundred words. Two or three hundred words are nothing.

I suffer from hyper-verbosity, and someday someone should host a telethon for those of us who can’t say anything succinctly. It’s a curse. I had sold two full-length novels before I ever sold a short story – and then it was almost six thousand words long! Give me seventy five thousand words and I start to feel comfortable. One hundred thousand and I’m as happy as a… well, whatever is the happiest you can imagine.

I never cease to marvel at those writers who can condense a world, a story, a relationship and unforgettable characters into just a few thousand words. Category romance writers leave me open-jawed with admiration. Give us both the same characters and set-up; they create a tight little story focused on two people and the flowering of their relationship in just fifty thousand words. I take the same information and eighty thousand words later I’ve woven in not only their love story, but the feud between their grandparents, the history of how their town was settled, why the mayor is a crook and the best way to do laundry in hard water, and am just really getting started! Novellas? I call them chapters.

Someone once said that short stories were miniatures, limned with tiny delicate strokes and that novels were murals, painted with broad brushes. What does that make me? A paint sprayer?

Whatever it is, I like it. I like making the big gesture, telling not only the big story, but all the little stories that make up the big story. Why do certain characters feel that way? It isn’t enough just to state that the hero hates the color purple; to make him real to us we have to know why he hates the color purple. (Make up your own reason for this example – my current hero has no prejudice against purple, at least, not that I know of!)

I’m not saying that writing short is easy; quite the opposite. I’ve tried and I’m not very good at it. I admire people who can, and I know how hard they work at it. One of my dearest friends writes children’s books that run from a thousand to fifteen hundred words. Once I wrote a seventy-five thousand word mystery in just about the same amount of time as she wrote one of her children’s stories. Certainly I typed harder and faster, but I don’t know which one of us worked harder. She is amazed that I can produce so many words and create complex worlds. I am amazed that she can do so much with so few.

See? I told you. This short little blog entry (“… just two or three hundred words, that’s all…”) has already grown to almost six hundred, and I haven’t even begun to write about what I really wanted to say. However, out of consideration to you, I’ll let that wait for another day. Besides, I really do have to research why my heroine’s town’s mayor is a crook and why she has to do her laundry in hard water!

Hyper-verbosity. Someone really does need to do a telethon for us.

Making characters real: problems and crises

2009-05-27T02:04:00.000-07:00

One of the ways you can make characters 'real' to yourself and to your readers is by giving them problems: real issues they have to struggle against and which readers can appreciate, empathise with and care about. To add to conflict and interest, characters can have more than one problem or issue to contend with.

Here are some problems characters can have:

1. Divorce - getting one, being divorced, starting over.

2. Being widowed - guilt, grief and starting over.

3. A child dying - for an added twist, the theme of a child given away at birth to adoption or who’s lost touch with parents through separation or divorce. Feelings of a the feeling that parent when that child dies or is killed. For child given away to adoption, now that child will never get in touch.

4. Identity - race, class, families. Who parents, sister, brother, grandmother, etc., are or were. Also what were their true natures?

5. A stranger who claims to be a relative getting in touch for first time or after a gap of many years. A missing relative suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

6. Loss of a job, parent, family member, home or lover.

7. Guilt - real or imagined.

8. A secret - it's being discovered, having to tell it, needing to keep it, having to overcome it.

9. Emotion - jealousy, possessiveness, inability to feel, coldness, anger, blinding hated, feelings of being unfairly treated or victimised, resentment, smothering love, fear of being left alone.

10. Time - juggling lives, fiting everything in, deciding when to have a child, deciding when to change jobs or when to move.

11. Neighbours or others’ dislike and resentments. Possibly some active and dangerous hatred.

12. Nature and environment - storms, fire, flood, dangerous animals, dangerous seas and skies. Quieter problems of nature - for instance for a sculptor: will this stone or wood crack? Or for a photographer: will this light or scene last?

13. Relationships - older man and younger woman, younger man and older woman, different faiths or cultures, different classes. The relationship of young man or woman with a stepchild older or as old as himself or herself. The relationship of a stepparent to a stepchild, or between new step-siblings - a sudden new sister, for instance, or brother.

14. Ill health - the character's own, or the illness of a parent, brother, sister or lover.

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Book Trailers And Other Ways To Promote

2009-05-21T10:28:00.000-07:00

To start with I'll say I'm weeding my way through all of this and finding I really like making bookmarks and things like that. My newest venture was to have a book trailer made.

I think it came out good. I still have question like:

Will this help me reach readers?

Will they like it?

Does this type of promo and mailing out bookmarks help increase sales?

Another thing is I have a short story out with http://shadowfirepress.com and a novella out with http://pinkpetalbooks.com, should promoting them be any different?

So chime in and let me know what type of promo works best for you?

What as a reader do you like to recieve as promo items?

Making Time to Write

2009-05-20T05:33:00.000-07:00

Where did April go?

Or for that matter the first three months of the year?

Maybe it’s a sign I’m getting old but time seems to fly by faster with each passing year. I know it’s my imagination because there’s the same amount of time in each day and month every single year…nevertheless, sometimes it gets me into a panic. How can I find more time to devote to my novels?
I stopped writing fiction (well, other than short stories) for almost ten years so these days I feel more compelled to make up for my lost time.
So here are some ways I’ve found to squeeze in more writing time. Hope some of them will work for you too.

Make It a Priority
If you’re serious about writing, it shouldn’t be too hard to put it on your ‘must do it’ list. Look at it as a chore you have to do, no questions asked.

Give up Something Else
One of my hobbies is gardening and as I live in an area where the growing season is short, I tend to get carried away once it’s time to head outside again. However, now my fiction writing is back in full swing, I’m looking for ways to cut down on garden chores. Now I can still enjoy my hobby but it doesn’t compete with my writing time.

Push Yourself
Back in the old days, I used to work on one project at a time but I’ve changed my approach. Right now I’m working on contemporary romance and three novellas. If you don’t think you can do it…and I didn’t, give it a try. It’s easier than you really think.

Write Anywhere
I was once the sort of writer who needed complete silence or I couldn’t write a word. Now I like either music playing in the background or I’ll even watch TV as I write. Train yourself to write just about anywhere and you’ll get more done. And be sure to take a notebook with you wherever you go. Pull it out when you’re waiting at the dentist’s office, even getting your hair colored.

Dinner in a Dash
I love to cook, but when I’m in the middle of writing a new book, I don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen. I also use the time after we eat supper to write fiction so I don’t want to waste time washing dishes either. My answer; plan a week’s worth of meals at a time and stock up the freezer or even pull out the slow cooker.

And here’s a book I highly recommend The Everything Meals for a Month by Linda Larsen. Believe me, it’s a writer’s best friend.

If you’ve found some more ways to squeeze in more time for writing, leave a comment. I’d love to hear your tips.

Susan Palmquist is a freelance writer and author of A Sterling Affair, Death Likes Me, and The One and Only. A Sterling Affair will be released in print by The Wild Rose Press on June 5th. Her newest book, Sleeping with Fairies, will be released August 3rd by The Lyrical Press. Read excerpts and learn more about Susan at www.susanpalmquist.com

Emotion and empathy

2009-04-29T00:36:00.000-07:00

Emotion and empathy are two vital ingredients that can really add to writing and to reader involvement. A scene written without the reader being truly embedded in a character's viewpoint, feeling what the character feels, can be distant and non-involving.

To show you what I mean, here's a scene from Blue Gold in two versions. The first has all the action and speech but misses the emotional reactions of the viewpoint character, Aweserre. In the second version of the same scene, I've put back Aweserre's emotions. I think it's more immediate as a result.

Version one - without emotion:

Sweat ran down Aweserre’s fingers and he slithered and almost fell.
The second passageway ran upwards at a steeper angle than the first passageway ran down. The slippery paving stones had grooves cut into them, yet even with these footholds it was a very tough climb.
And all the while that they climbed, the pounding somewhere above their heads continued relentlessly.
Up ahead, climbing one-handed, Ramose seemed to have a rhythm going. He moved smoothly, black muscles glistening in the torchlight.
'Amazing,' breathed Ramose suddenly. 'Truly amazing.'
The priest shot out of the end of the passage. Torchlight flickered on the roof of the passageway as Ramose apparently straightened.
'Give me light!' called Aweserre.
A black arm, slipping towards him like a shadow, caught him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him out. He was set carefully on his feet.
'Look at this, 'Serre.' Ignoring the sounds of hammering that drifted and echoed through the pyramid like the sound of an angry sea, Ramose lifted the torch.
Aweserre sucked in a long breath and stared. They were in a huge hall, the like of which he had never seen before and doubted that he ever would again. As long as one of the smaller wings of his own palace at Avaris, with a central passage broader than a man's outstretched arms and a superbly executed corbelled roof, the whole room was a marvel.
One by one, his men climbed out of the narrow passageway and straightened. No one spoke.
Aweserre began to run up the smooth rise of the chamber. It was not the space which drew him but the lights which were emerging from the narrow corridor at the far end of the long hall.
The two Pharaohs, Aweserre and Sekenenre, were about to meet each other face to face.

Version two - with emotion:

I'm going to be sick, thought Aweserre. Sweat ran down his fingers and he slithered and almost fell.
The second passageway ran upwards at a steeper angle than the first passageway ran down. The slippery paving stones had grooves cut into them, yet even with these footholds it was a very tough climb.
And all the while that they climbed, the pounding somewhere above their heads continued relentlessly.
Up ahead, climbing one-handed, Ramose seemed to have a rhythm going. He moved smoothly, surprisingly easily for a man of his size in such a narrow space, black muscles glistening in the torchlight.
He's enjoying himself, thought Aweserre, taking in another gulp of clammy air. He was jealous of the priest's urgency: he felt only fear.
'Amazing,' breathed Ramose suddenly. 'Truly amazing.'
Pausing as though in wonder and then going forward again, the priest shot out of the end of the passage. Torchlight flickered eerily on the roof of the passageway as Ramose apparently straightened.
'Give me light!' bawled Aweserre, clinging desperately to one of the grooves cut into the steep and slimy paving.
A black arm, slipping towards him like a shadow, caught him by the scruff of the neck and lifted him out. He was set carefully on his feet, as though he were some squalling toddler. Deeply humiliated, Aweserre forgot about being sick.
'Look at this, 'Serre.' Ignoring the sounds of hammering that drifted and echoed through the pyramid like the sound of an angry sea, Ramose lifted the torch.
Aweserre sucked in a long breath and stared. They were in a huge hall, the like of which he had never seen before and doubted that he ever would again. As long as one of the smaller wings of his own palace at Avaris, with a central passage broader than a man's outstretched arms and a superbly executed corbelled roof, the whole room was a marvel.
One by one, his men climbed out of the narrow passageway and straightened - And kept on raising their heads, tilting astonished faces farther and farther back. No one spoke.
Perhaps this is what it feels like to be born, thought Aweserre. First the darkness, the cramping walls of the mother's vagina and then release and space. Here too, the arching stones of the corbelled roof seemed to hold them in a loose embrace, no longer suffocating.
Lifted out of his fear in a rush, Aweserre began to run up the smooth rise of the chamber. It was not the space which drew him but the lights which were emerging from the narrow corridor at the far end of the long hall.
The two Pharaohs, Aweserre and Sekenenre, were about to meet each other face to face.

If you ever have a scene that doesn't seem to be 'working', then putting more emotion into it by way of the viewpoint character could be the answer.

Best wishes, Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Romantic Times 2009

2009-04-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

Down in sunny Orlando FL for RT convention. Meeting lots of people and learning a lot, which brings me to todays question.

How much of what you learn at conferences and conventions do you really remember when you get home. I mean it hectic and fun, but I'm taking notes because I know once my butt hits the plane seat for the ride home I'm not going to remember anything. Mostly because I've found out I'm not a good flyer. Getting on and taking off okay, Landing I want to barf each time.

Not that anyone needed to know that. Anyway I'm enjoying my time here.

Few editors and other authors have planted seedlings in my mind and I can't wait to get home and write. We're leaving Monday the 27th and should be back in Maine late that night.

Hope everyones having a nice spring so far,

Rita Sawyer
Giving You It All
Romance Passion Laughter
http://www.RitaSawyer.com

Are You Talking To Me?

2009-04-22T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ever given up on reading a novel because you didn’t like it but didn’t quite know why?
Was the pacing slow, the characters flat? Or maybe the dialogue didn’t sound real enough.

My work’s been rejected for lots of reasons, but I’m happy to say I’ve never got negative feedback about my dialogue. I’d say that dialogue is probably what I do best. For me, what separates an okay book from a great one is natural sounding dialogue. If you keep getting feedback about poor dialogue, here are some tricks that have helped me.

Become An Eves Dropper
My background in psychology has given me a natural curiosity about listening in on people’s conversations. (Okay, I’m nosey too). But being nosey is an essential trait if you want to be a writer. Listening in not only garners ideas, but it lets you hear how real people talk and interact with one another. And what better way to create a great book than offering readers real characters that live on long after they’ve read the final page. My rule for dialogue, people shouldn’t only be reading what your characters are saying, they should be experiencing too.

Eves drop in the line at the supermarket, in the coffee shop…even next time you ride on a bus or a plane. Close your eyes and listen to how people speak. What type of words do they use? Do they use slang? Words or terms you haven’t heard before? And yes, it’s okay to write down snippets of conversations to use in future work.

Read Screenplays
When you watch a movie it’s hard to believe it was created from a script that was mostly dialogue. If you want to get a feel for top notch dialogue, buy a screenplay (try http://store.scriptbuddy.com/browse/screenplays/ and read through it. Even read it aloud with a couple of people playing various parts. Listen to the rhythm and how characters respond to one another.

Read the Good, The Bad and The Ugly
No, not the screenplay but if you want to create great dialogue you have to read both good and bad so you know the difference. So try this.
Pick a book, read through it until you get to a good chunk of all dialogue.

Did you like it?
What did you learn from it?
How did it add to the plot?
What did it reveal about the character who was talking?
What if you didn’t like it?
What was wrong with it?
Rewrite it yourself and see if you can improve upon it.

One of my favorite mystery writers is Peter Robinson. If you ever get a chance, pick up one of his books and study the dialogue. Even if Robinson didn’t write great mysteries, I’d read his books just for their natural sounding dialogue.

The Two Rules
Okay, I can’t close this blog without mentioning the two rules of great dialogue. Remember them and you’re 50% of the way to creating sparking dialogue. One, dialogue should further the plot. Two, dialogue should reveal something about the character who’s talking or one of the other characters in your novel. If you can achieve both with one piece of dialogue, you’re on a roll.
Next time you sit down to write, spend a few minutes going over the dialogue you’ve already created. Read it aloud, does it follow the two rules? If not, toss it out or rework it.

Susan Palmquist is the author of A Sterling Affair, a paranormal romance published by The Wild Rose Press. Death Likes Me and The One and Only both published by Hearts on Fire Books. And the upcoming paranormal romance, Sleeping with Fairies that will be published by Lyrical Press.
She also writes a monthly interview blog with writers and editors at Between the Lines.

Yet More to Add to Your "Avoid" List

2009-04-21T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'm hoping you don't mind if I borrow from my own blog today in order to meet my requirements here. I'm a bit under the weather, but I feel this information is worth passing along no matter how many times we share it:

Posted today on Dishin' It Out:

Still more to add to your list of things to avoid as an author. For you readers out there...how many of these "faux pas" do you notice in the books you buy?

A fellow author and friend from my historical critique group, Jen Black, posted a very informative blog, making reference to another site where she found the original post. If you'd like to read the entire post, then visit Pat Holt's blog. I'm so glad Jen shared this.

In the interim, I'm going to borrow her "headers" and see how many I can apply to myself. I invite you to do the same is you're an author:

1. Repeats:
We all have favorite phrases we use in our writing, the secret is to avoid over-using them. Word echoes, especially when you use the same word within one paragraph warn of redundancy and are best avoided. Here's a silly example: John placed his glass on the table and gazed at Vanessa. Tipping her glass, Vanessa smiled over the rim and sipped her drink. When finished, she lifted her glass in a toast. John hoisted his glass into the air. Are we sick of 'glass?' I think this is one habit I've learned, but still slip into occasionally. Luckily, I have my critique group to help. Ask them and they'll tell you that I drive them crazy in my critiques of their work with highlighting echoes.

2. Flat Writing:
I'm not so sure I've fallen into this habit, but Ms. Holt warns "it's a sign you've lost interest." I've seen this in books I've read, and often wonder the purpose of phrases that do nothing to propel the story and really add nothing to the plot. I suspect they may not really indicate a lost interest, rather are the author's attempt to reach a mandated word count. *smile*

3. Empty Adverbs:
Boy, I'm trying to break this habit, and it isn't easy. Examples: actually, totally, absolutely, completely, continually, constantly, literally, really..) The list goes on and on, and for story telling, they seem appropriate, but replacing 'ly' words with stronger verbs is the answer in fiction writing. Of course, 'ly' words have a place. If you eliminate all, your writing will become too stiff. There's a secret here and I'm trying to uncover it. I think I've made progress.

4. Phony Dialogue:
What I gleaned from Ms. Holt is the need to make your characters unique. We all have distinct voices and habits, so try to convey those to the reader rather than have everyone sound alike. Speak with a unique voice for each character by not using the same phrasing, and make the dialogue realistic. Stop and think....would my character really say that?

5. Suffixes:
As with 'ly' and 'ing' words, some 'ness' words sprinkled into the story have a place, but adding so many that a reader has to stop and absorb them or re-read is not a good sign. Examples: mindlessness, courageousness. Another habit we slip into is often adding 'ly' to 'ing' words in our descriptive tags...often described as "Tom Swiftees.: Poor example, but the best I can come up with: "That was a refreshing dip," the boy said, swimingly. If I do this, I'm certainly not aware of it.

6. To Be Words:
This has been a toughie for me. 'To be' words slow the pace of your writing and often move it to passive rather than unveiling the story in the present. 'Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been...' are common examples, but of course cannot all be eliminated. The secret is finding a happy medium.

7. Lists:
I don't believe I fall into his habit anymore, but I sure have read the work of several authors, especially newbies who have. An example would be trying to 'list' everything on a buffet table. Before you name everything, the reader is yawning and may have tossed the book aside. "Cecile's stomach rumbled as she gazed at the eggs, potatoes, hot rolls, oatmeal, toast, jelly, butter, bananas, apples, pears,plums, and pots of hot coffee and tea on the table." Listing a little to give the reader is a much better idea...maybe her mouth watered at the hot baked bread, and then let the reader smell it by describing the smell of yeast.

8. Show Don't Tell:
Oh, Lord, have I come a long way on this one. I actually 'get' the concept. When I completed and submitted my first manuscript, my editor said, "You've written a beautiful story. Now we have to make it into a novel." I wondered at her meaning, but until you weave in the smells, emotions, actions by drawing the reader in and allowing them the experience, you really have only TOLD a story. The secret is SHOWING so when your heroine cries, so does the reader. Let the wind caress the reader's face, let them smell the flowers, feel the slap. If you aren't there yet, believe me, some editor will help you along. *big grin*

9. Awkward Phrasing:
I think the best rule of thumb is KISS (keep it simple, stupid.) If you are writing a sentence so long and so strangely worded that it requires more than one reading, you've failed this test. I believe I used to do this, but now I've learned from many editorial whippings to shorten sentences for emphasis and ease of comprehension. No reader likes to get to the end of a long drawn out sentence and scratch their head. Unless of course they have dandruff. *lol*

10. Commas:
Speaking of scratching one's head... this one has me stumped. Just when I think I understand and follow the written rules of good punctuation, a publishing house decides to try to eliminate commas. I guess you have to follow your publishing guidelines, but my belief is: If you have two sentences joined together with 'and or but' you need a comma, and if there is a natural pause, a comma is called for. Commas also clarify things for the reader when one word follows another and doesn't make sense if read together without a pause. My mind is too numb from all these rules to give you an example, but I think you understand.

So...I encourage you to go back to the link and read Ms. Holt's full post, and Jen's too. The examples are all helpful and encourage continued learning. I know I benefited from reading them and I'm happy to pass along the wisdom.

Navigating Through The Jungle That Is Promotion-Part 1

2009-04-07T19:01:00.000-07:00

I have five windows open on my laptop right now. Six if you count my current WIP.

-Yahoo Mail

-this Blogger post

-Twitter

-Facebook

-YouTube

Every single one is among the promotional tools that I use, yes even YouTube and I'll tell you why later.

I've wanted to be a writer since I was a young girl and I thought that my job was simply to write the thing and send it off to get published. All my favorite authors were these glamorous figures who did talk shows and radio interviews. I figured the publisher took care of all of that and I thought it was a perk of being a successful writer, I didn't see it as the authors actively working to sell their books.

As I grew older and read more about the writing life I was surprised to find out there were whole sections on 'selling your writing' and they weren't talking about just selling to publishers. They were talking about selling to readers.

Did they mean self publishing? Nope.

The fact is, if you want readers, you have to go get them or at least make it easy for them to find you. Even the big NY publishing house writers know this. That's why you'll see Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn on groups and blogs. These are some of the most successful writers today and yet they know that the romance market accounts for over 50% of all books sold. Those are a lot of books. Those are alot of authors competing for your hard earned money. If these big names don't keep themselves out there, accesible to their readers and constantly promoting themselves, there are any number of newbie authors coming up the ranks to take their place.

For a smaller publisher's author, promotion is even more vital. Your publisher simply may not have the ability to promote you on the same scale as the bigger houses. The majority of the promotional work falls to you.

Now chances are you don't have the ability to promote yourself the way they big houses do either.

Enter the gift from the Gods called The Internet.

I started my career as a fanfic writer. I would write purely for pleasure, stories based on my favorite tv shows or movies and I would join communities and boards that focused on these shows. I was surprised to find that these places had fanfic sections where I could post chapters and people would give feedback. Instant reader/writer interaction. Invaluable. I still write fanfiction and these readers have followed me onto my original fiction course as well. Thanks to fanfiction, I have a built in readership to buy my books.

Which leads me to YouTube. The tool of procrastinators everywhere, or so it may seem on the surface. My YouTube profile has information about me and that I'm a writer and my author website. So as I'm browsing around on YouTube watching fun videos from laughing babies to soap opera montages, everytime I comment, my username is visible and they can click on that and be taken to my YouTube profile where my writing info is. Everytime I get friended on YouTube, there's one more person who's been to my profile and knows I'm a writer. Will all of them buy my books? Likely not, but a few of them might get curious and click on my website link and learn more about what I have available, something might intrigue them and boom, there's a sale I wouldnt have had it if I wasn't 'wasting time' on YouTube.

Then there's Facebook. I'll be honest, I was ambivalent about Facebook at first. I had one, but didn't really use it much. Then as I began interacting with other writers on groups, I would check out their FB pages and realized how many writers were on FB and how we could all interact and boost each other's sales. The first few weeks I began to more actively participate on FB, my novella Redemption by Amira Press shot in to the top 10 bestsellers. Was that because of FB? It would seem so.

I'm a newbie to Twitter but I'm loving it. It's a fantastic medium to connect with, in little bite size pieces readers and writers not to mention friends and fellow fangirls who love the same shows that I do. Again, my writing info is on my profile page and when people decide they want to follow me, they see that info and can check out my website.

I'm a blog junkie. Blogs are wonderful tools to share pieces of yourself and promote your writing to the world. I adore reading writer's blogs and learning about their lives and writing processes. Through commenting and interaction you build up relationships with these writers and guess what? A lot of writers will have guest spots where fellow authors can promote their releases. So if you're reading a blog, ask if you can be a featured author and make sure to pay it forward and allow them or another author to be featured on yours.

I don't think I have to tell you how powerful a tool e-mail can be for a writer. Honestly, I don't know how writers got along with out it before. Through e-mail you can talk to readers, do business with your publisher and/or agent, work on edits, submit work and joing e-mail groups or loops as I've recently learned they are called. I was a part of a few groups that were fandom based and these again, became fans of my original work so again, instant fanbase. Then when I started to join writing groups, it was like this wave of promotional goodness, excerpts, chat days, contests all of it came right to my inbox.

So that's a little (or not so little) peek into the tools available to you to promote your writing. Look for the second part coming next month!

You can find me at www.ejamie.net
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/profile.php?id=855670581&ref=profile
Twitter: http://twitter.com/nancy777ca
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/workinmypjs
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/nancy777ca
And at My Publisher Amira Press's Website as E.Jamie at www.amirapress.com

Goals: Friend or Foe

2009-04-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

I'm a planner.

I organize a large craft bazaar every year that brings in three hundred people, live music, over 50 vendors, and workshops. I love it.

I also like to PLAN goals.

Follow through? Not so much. But here I have my very first book deadline looming on the horizon, so I better follow through or my butt's in a sling. I don't think I won't make it, but it shakes my boots, so to speak, to put what I HAVE to do down on paper.

So, this week, I'm writing 3 pages a day. Baby steps. This is a 25K novella after all, which is halfway done. Next week, it's ten pages (yikes). And for someone who took a writing hiatus for two years, this shivers me timbers.

How does it work for you? Do you find that planning an outline of goals keeps you on track or veers you off the path? Just curious.

Characters: good guys

2009-03-25T02:52:00.000-07:00

Last month I talked about creating bad characters, so this month it's time for the strong and virtuous. The same techniques can be used as in making a bad character but this time the emphasis is different.

First impressions. As with the bad guys, you might not start here. You might have other characters talk about him first, to add to tension, delay his entrance. First impressions may be wrong: the brute may turn out to be a sweetie, or the slob may end up as a hero.

Attitudes. Don’t have to be totally ‘good’ but must include a generosity of spirit.

Actions. What does he do that changes world for better, or helps others?

How do others see the character?. If a baddie insults your hero, the reader can be so indignant they will more readily identify with the character.

How does your good guy react to situations? Not selfishly, except in minor ways. When it comes to the crunch, the good characters do the right thing.

Good guys don’t whine. Their obsessions, if they have any, are appealing.

Making a good character attractive. See my last post about making a bad character attractive, because the same techniques apply. Above all - never let your hero or heroine be smug or self-absorbed!

Good characters care. They relate, they share. They lead, they act, they dream, they do something about it! They have big aims. They do not give up, however tempting that might seem. If they appear to give up, they still go on, later. They are not passive. If they are victims, they fight back later. They do not lack courage, however much they might be afraid and know how hopeless a situation is.

We are in their heads, identifying with their thoughts, fears, secrets and aims. We share their inner conflicts as they choose what to do. They have quirky/appealing personal habits (even small vices). We laugh with them and sometimes at them but never for long. They have possible catchphrases or predictable responses that are appealing, so the reader can anticipate how they will react and get a kick out of that. At the same time, they are not entirely predictable. They have hidden depths, maybe hidden dangers. They are bigger than they seem.

If all else fails and you feel a character is not appealing enough and you want him or her to be, then make that character suffer. Suffering will hopefully engage the reader’s pity, unless you’ve made the character so rotten that the readers are all cheering their heads off.

If you want to see my characters in action - both bad and good - have a look at my books.

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

2009-03-24T05:00:00.000-07:00

I was all set to blog more about marketing and promotion, but I'm having problems with a new medication I'm taking and I just don't have the energy. Rather than miss an opportunity to share something, I've decided to post the newest review of my latest release, Sparta Rose.

Getting this book published is a story in itself. After signing with and having my first agent close her doors before anything productive happened, I was successful in signing with a second. I submitted Sparta Rose and she loved it, and after waiting several months, she contacted me and said she had found a publisher who loved my work. Although I'd never heard of the "house," I asked the questions I thought were pertinent, ready through the contract and signed on the dotted line. I later discovered that I'd been lied too, and the company was indeed another e-publisher, like the several with whom I'd already signed, and although they professed not to deal in "print on demand," that was exactly what they did. Rather than cause I scene, I honored my agreement. Unfortunately, something totally unforeseen happened and I asked for, and received my rights back to the story. The beautiful cover that had been designed for me was pulled and promptly assigned to an anthology group.

I secured a second publisher, went through editing, sat back and waited for October 2007 to come. Right before the book was due for release, the editor and owner of the company encountered family problems and put everything on hold. Rather than wait to see if things played out in my favor, I asked for and received my rights back again. The second beautiful cover fell by the wayside. Of course, you realize any good author has already been promoting a book long before it's release, so now I've promoted two covers that will never be... even entered them in the Covey awards. Do you know what a headache it is to have to pull your promotions from every site you've posted to? It sucks.

Luckily, a third publisher contracted Sparta Rose. Another editing, another wait, but at long last, Ellie's story is finally published. Eternal Press released my story this month, and I'm happy to let you sit in on her first official interview:

Our special guest this evening is Miss Roselle Fountain, the heroine from author, Ginger Simpson’s historical, Sparta Rose. Welcome, Roselle.

RF – *Fidgeting* Oh please call me Ellie. I’ve never much identified with such a flowery name. You probably can’t tell by the way I’m dressed today, but I’ve always been somewhat of a tomboy.

INT - *Laughing*. So I’ve heard. You look very nice in your flowered print—very much the lady.

RF – That’s Pa’s doing. He insisted if I was going to make an appearance, I needed to dress more high-falutin’. I’d much rather be wearing britches and boots. *Tugs at the neckline of her dress*. These things are too danged uncomfortable at times.

INT – So, Ellie, tell the readers a little about Sparta Rose.

RF – *Smiles* Well, I can’t give away too much. Ginger would skin me alive, but I’m sure she won’t mind me telling you that it’s got a little romance, a lot of western, and even more feistiness than her last historical romance. My problems begin when Pa hires Tyler Bishop as the ranch foreman. I kinda figured Pa always wanted a son, and Ty proves me right. Their relationship gets me pretty riled up. I have a bad temper at times… I think it comes from this red hair. *pulls a strand forward and grins*.

INT – So, besides your jealousy of Ty, is there any adventure involved.

RF – Oh, you bet. *Squares herself in her chair*. The polecats that live on the neighboring ranch are aiming to get Fountainhead away from Pa. Dude Bryant and his twin boys are meaner than snakes… well at least Dude and Jeb are. Joshua comes across as quiet and a follower. But, *balls hands into fists* I’ll be danged if they’re gonna get my legacy. I actually bought a gun and taught myself to shoot it.

INT – A gun? What do you plan to do with it?

RF – Protect Fountainhead of course. I’m aim to show Pa he don’t need Tyler Bishop around when he has me. I just wish Ty wasn’t so dang good lookin’.

INT – I haven’t heard you mention your mother. How does she feel about you owning a gun?

RF - *Lowers her eyes*. My ma died when I was very young. I suppose that’s why I took up with the ranch hands and spend so much time workin’ outdoors. *Raises a steely gaze*. But, now that Ty’s in the picture, Pa wants me to spend more time in the house doing womanly things.

INT – Would that be such a bad thing?

RF – Of course it would. I don’t much care for cookin’ and cleanin’. We have Cook for that. I’d much rather brand a cow as fry one.

INT – So what about the romance part of the story?

RF – *Chews her bottom lip for a moment* Well, I accompany Ty to a dance in Sparta, and as usual, he gets my dander up there, too. I never should have gone, but those eyes of his make my knees weak. My better judgment flew right out the window. *Takes a deep breath* What happens from then on, you’ll have to find out for yourself. I may look young and naïve, but I’m not silly enough to give away the whole story. Miz Ginger is counting on sales to help pay for a face lift or something like that. I wouldn't want to let her down.

INT – I certainly wouldn’t want you to. You’ve given us enough of a teaser to stir some interest. Hopefully we’ll see you on a best seller’s list somewhere.

RF – That would be right nice. It just may happen cause remember, I have a gun. *Slaps hip and fakes a draw*.

INT - Well, here’s hoping you don’t have to use it. *laughs*. Thank you so much, Ellie for being with us today. And good luck in the future.

_________________________
So far, Ellie is garnering good reviews...here's the newest I received today. Can't argue with five of these puppies.

Reviewed by Lynn for Review Your Book

Sparta Tennessee-1860

Roselle was a tomboy from the get go. Of course, she would much rather be called Ellie and drop the Rose. That was more like the name of a fine lady. When she was only 3-years-old, she lost her mother to Typhoid. With no brothers, Ellie was compelled to follow to father around.

She had learned to rope, ride, move cattle, and brand as well if not better than, some of the ranch hands. She could mend the fences and even occasionally shoe a horse if need be.

Ellie is now 17-years-old, and her father decides that she needs to start doing things around the house--inside; woman things, learning to cook, washing. How could her father, after all these years, turn her away from what she loves to do? Why was she not born a boy?

Tyler Bishop (Ty) is the main ranch hand. He has a time trying to figure out Ellie. One time, she is one of the guys so speak. Next, she is all female. All Ty know is he is bound and determined to keep her safe, and also he is falling for her.

Ellie is getting tired of Ty bossing her around and being so overly protective of her. Ellie goes out and buys a gun, and she will learn to use it.

Ellie knew that one day she will run the ranch--or will daddy turn it over to Ty? When Land buyers want to buy the ranch, Ellie is bound and determined to stop it. Will her dad and Ty see things her way?

This is a great novel, and being from Tennessee myself, I think it is beautiful around Sparta. You can’t help but learn to become involved with the characters. They seem to grow on you.

If you like a good historical romance, you will enjoy this book. The book is written with such clarity that it keeps the readers interested. You can’t help but care about Ellie, and occasionally she will even bring a smile to you.

It is listed as a Western Historical Romance, but I put it more as just Historical, Civil War Era. I found it such a interesting read that it was hard to put down until I was finished.

What Type of Writer Are You?

2009-03-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

Are you a plotter or do you just write by the seat of your pants?
That’s a question I get asked no matter who’s doing the asking.
Last year I would have told you that I’m a bit of both. I’m more of a plotter when I write mysteries, more of where are the hero and heroine taking me when I sit down to write a romance. But now I’m definitely a plotter. So what changed?

Late last year, I was offered the opportunity to try writing for a new detective series being launched by a book packager. They gave me an in-depth character analysis and a 90 pages detailed synopsis for the plot they had in mind. My job was to write a prologue, first chapter and tell them how I would break the synopsis into subsequent chapters.
While I wasn’t chosen as the writer for this new series, I did learn some valuable tips when it came time to work on my next book.

The first one was the more pre-work you do, the easier the actual writing is.
For example, you jot down what you need and want to include in each chapter. How many characters will you introduce, what scene will the bad guy make his appearance?
Using this method, you’ll be surprised just how fast you can write. And an added plus is you don’t sit there wasting valuable writing time thinking about what comes next. And the dreaded sagging middle becomes a thing of the past.

Another tip I picked up was writing a more detailed outline means inconsistencies jump out at you. Some of them even slap you in the face. You can see what research you need to do, maybe learn about a certain profession, the climate of a particular country. Writing the outline gives you the perfect opportunity to jot down all the questions you’ll need answered.

While I don’t think I could come up with a 90 page synopsis for every manuscript, my days of just sitting down to write without a plan are a thing of the past.

Next time you sit down to write a book, give the detailed outline and synopsis a try. And I’d love to hear if it worked for you too.

Susan Palmquist is the author of A Sterling Affair, Death Likes Me and The One and Only. You can visit her web site at www.susanpalmquist.com and follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/susanpalmquist

Favorite Villains

2009-03-16T06:12:00.000-07:00

Some people are concerend about villains being too likable in movies, concerned with villainy being made a desireable thing or a promotion of negative values. A well done villain can promote values, especially in romance, where we like to see the bad guys get thier comeuppance, and the good guys are rewarded for heroic efforts.

I do know without a good villain, the hero has nothing to do. They have to be at conflict or there is no story. One thing to remember is the villain doesn't usually see himself as such. Each character is the star of thier own story. They all have thier own goals, opinions, challenges, and yearnings.
I am going to talk about some of my favorite villains. I don't watch really violent movies so there may be deadlier villains out there, these have some likability, but they are definintely the bad guys.

Magneto. Xmen
He is very easy to relate to. A holocaust survivor, he can manipulate metal. he has already seen what happens when a group of people take over who have an agenda against another group. When the mutant registration act is debated, Magneto forms an army.
He has depth, personality (ok magnetism), a reasonable concern, and an agenda. What he doesn't see is he is becoming what he hates when he decides to kill off all non mutants in an effort to save his own kind.

Alan Rickman: the sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood

When the cat's away...The sheriff is out to take over.He was funny in parts, ruthless in others. "I''ll cut your heart out with a spoon." He promised Loxley as Robin Hood fled. When his plans began to crumble he ordered: "Cancel Christmas" Eek!

Severus Snape: Harry Potter
Smooth, snarky, sarcastic. oh my! That voice can melt chocolate! Alan Rickman again.
" I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death -- if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach."

He might have been a hero in the end, but to the kids, he was fear incarnate. Ask Neville!
We were kept in the dark as to his real goal and motivation, sadly we find he was a pawn of Dumbledore, as he was bound to service with an unbreakable vow. (which makes me feel Dumbledore was more villain than hero)
No wonder he was snarky.

Anthony Hopkins: Silence of the Lambs.
EEK! He was smooth, intelligent, and he reads people like a road map. He was respectable, cultured with sophisticated appetites.
“I do wish we could chat longer, but... I'm having an old friend for dinner.”
This villian has four movies, he has ingrained himself in our psyche.
The evil under the social facade of respectability. He did like Clarice. He was willing to sacrifice his hand to save hers. His motivation?
Only he knows.

Darth Vader: Star Wars

Great character arc though he didn't suffer fools graciously. “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” He said to one man before choking him to death. He found good in his heart when he met Luke. "No, I am your father."
He ultimately gave his life for his son and redeemed his soul.

The Joker: psychotic with a twisted sense of humor. Batman movies and comics

Evil genius at its best.
“You… you just couldn’t let me go could you? This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. You are truly incorruptable aren’t you. You won’t kill me because of some misplaced sense of self-rightousness. And I won’t kill you because…you’re just too much fun."
The evil genius had a respect for the hero, even treating Batman like a kindred spirit of sorts. "I get the feeling that you and I are destined to do this forever.”
This got on the dark knights nerves.

Cruella DeVille:"101 Dalmations:

"We lose more women to marriage than war, famine, and disease. "
"Oh, yes! I love the smell of near-extinction! "

I wonder if she and the Joker are related. Both have that mixture of crazed intelligence and unique fashion sense. Face it, Any one who could club a puppy to death is just plain mean.

Captain Barbossa: Pirates of the Caribbean

"He's a lot like meself, but absent me merciful nature and sense of fair play. (meeting with another pirate) Your master's expecting us... and an unexpected death'd cast a slight pall on our meeting. "

"You've used alot of big words and we are but humble pirates. I am disinclined to acquiesece to your request. That means no."
While everyone else loves Jack Sparrow, I gotta like Barbossa. His humor, his sarcasm, his no nonsense running of his ship. This is not a villain to take lightly. You only have one chance, cross him, and you're done.

"What now Jack Sparrow? Are we to be two immortals locked in an epic battle until judgement day and trumpets sound?"
Jack answers "Or you could surrender." Not likely, even Calypso had a soft spot in her heart for this blackguard.

While we are on the topic of villains, list some of your favorites.

Too Stupid to live?

2009-02-28T19:27:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

Do you remember the old movies? the monster/villain is fighting the hero while the heroine shrieks in a corner, arm dramatically poised across her face? I was watching an old "grade B" when it occured to me it took 100 years of women's sufferage for the heroine to figure out the fight would end quicker if she busted the villain over the head with a vase rather than shriek the hero's name while he is fighting for his life.

Why is it the same heroine will flee the bad guy and trip over...well, nothing; long enough for the evil doer to catch her?

This is the TSTL heroine: Too Stupid To Live.

If you remember the old Superman cartoons it was Lois Lane who fell into peril after doing something no woman with an IQ above 70 would try. She has stowed away inside a killer robot, invaded Lex Luthor's lair (try saying that three times fast), and in an earlier episode even confronted Japanese spies. (remember the cartoon came out in 1941).

Lois Lane is the queen of the dumb heroines. Her motivation is good, at least in her mind, as a journalist she has to get the story, What better way to get the story than to put yourself in harm's way! After all, Superman will save the day.

Call me a crab, but I wish he would find another girl friend. Honestly, doesn't he have enough to do without dropping it all to save someone who should know better in the first place?

Then there is the horror movie. TSTL is a must in this genre. Let's face it, a disembodied voice tells you "get out" when you walk into the house and you're going to spend the weekend? If this wasn't enough, one would think the blood pouring down the walls would be a good clue. Give me a break, what does a demented spirit from the other side have to do to get it through your head.

Go Away!

Looking for vampires at night is TSTL. I shake my head in wonder when the heroes decide to stake a vamp at midnight. If they know where the vampires sleep, why don't they bull doze the building at noon, then open up the coffin lids and stake them? I can understand werewolves. you don't know who they are until after the full moon, but looking for vampires at night is dumb.

In all fairness, if everyone was smart enough to flee the crazy man in the leather mask wielding the chain saw, there would be no horror genre. If you want to survive a horror movie, keep your clothes on and never say "this must be what paradise is like." The minute those words are said, the characters are screwed. Enter the TSTL. They have to walk in the door, use the cursed item, ignore the nice gypsy telling them death is imminent, or there will be no story.

I don't want to slam other genres, I do like the classics. As often as people put down romances, at least our heroines know to turn on the lights before searching a dark room, I find myself getting defensive.

To avoid the dreaded TSTL we need to be sure our characters have a clear goal and a logical plan for achieving said goal.
Buffy did hunt vampires at night but what kept her from being TSTL is a good plan, the right tools and good source of information on the best way to deal with the enemy.
She was motivated by the fact she was the chosen one and honed her skills as best she could. It helped to have friends she could trust.
Ultimately she chose to sacrifice herself to save her sister. She was never TSTL, the choice to die was hers.

TSTL, unless your writing satire, isn't a good thing. Keep them real and give them something resembling intelligence.

Characters: bad guys

2009-02-25T02:19:00.001-08:00

It’s often said that characters know what kind of book/film they’re in from how they behave. Try to avoid over-obvious character stereotyping in your writing but be aware of the kind of work you’re producing and the genre you’re working in, if only to subvert it a little and push the creative envelope.

Making Bad Characters - really bad characters.

First impressions. You might not introduce a villain too early, but have other characters talk about him or her first, to add to tension, delay entrance. This is what Thomas Harris does with Hannibal Lecter in ‘Silence of the Lambs’. First impressions may be wrong, and the devil may have a charming face - or he can be instantly up-front nasty or eerie.

Attitudes. Especially villains' attitudes to and lack of empathy with others. Do they lie and cheat and consider it clever? Are they manipulative? Snobby? Racist? Sexist? Cruel? Do they have real relationships with others, or do they see letting down their guard as a sign of weakness?

Actions. Show their nature by repulsive actions. Also let their victims be tragic, pathetic.

The impression they make. Other baddies might admire them, others never. They show a meanness of spirit, or a 'black hole' of a personality which the reader never truly penetrates.

Their reactions to situations. Always selfish in some way. However complex their response to a situation, the ultimate aim is to look after number one.

Their needs. Let your bad characters have wants instead of aims, ambitions centred ultimately on their own interest alone.

But villains can be attractive!

Give them plenty of charisma, wit, brains. Villains can charm the reader with their courage and ability to do things the reader may long to do but can't. Bad guys can be winners.

They can get back at society - particularly effective when aimed at faceless organisations. They’re rebels, and other characters around them can be even worse and ripe for comeuppance.

This time the heroes or good guys can find something to admire in your baddies. Let them be a contrast to others in the story. Let them stand tall when those around creep. Allow the reader to understand them and the forces that have made them by showing aspects of their past and nature and letting the reader get inside their heads with more sympathetic thoughts. Allow them to share with another, to have a relationship with another. Loners might appear attractive, but not if they remain so throughout.

Next time: the good guys!

Lindsay
http://lindsaysbookchat.blogspot.com

Marketing Versus Promotion

2009-02-24T06:00:00.000-08:00

Being new to the publishing industry can be quite confusing. I recall having a million question marks hovering over my head but having no idea how to formulate the words to ask what I needed to know. I'm certainly not the 'queen of facts' but perhaps I can share a little information that helps clarify two terms that confused the heck out of me.

If you consider you have a product to sell, the first thing you want to do is PROMOTE it. Promotion is about getting people interested in your work...sharing excerpts, posting teasers, garnering book reviews. These things all speak for you and allow people to acquaint themselves with said 'product.' It's sometimes hard for some of us to sell ourselves. I know I have a hard time praising my own work, so if I can garner good reviews, the words of others can be shared to my benefit. Most promotion costs nothing but time and energy.

Once people know about you, then you need to find ways to sell your product. MARKETING is often more expensive than promoting because it can entail paid advertising and mass mailings. Beware...before you spend a ton, expect that you might not get a great return on your investment. The first year I marketed myself, I spent three times more than I made. I've backed off since then, purely for financial reasons. For example. When I published my first book, I took out an ad with some other authors in The Romantic Times Magazine. The cost was prohibitive to doing it frequently, but I felt it would get my name out, and connected with the review done on my historical novel, it was money well spent.

I've consistently ordered postcards featuring my book covers from Vista print, and I have exchanged them with other authors to create a packet of different promotional items. This way, more than one of us is marketing the works of several. We mention them on loops and mail them to whomever requests them. I do the same with bookmarks. Vista print always has quite affordable sales...sometimes free items with paid shipping and handling. There isn't a big demand for these items, but they are also pieces you can leave in doctor/dental Offices, banks, restaurants, anywhere there's a counter. I also carry pens with my name and website on them and usually leave one with each waitress or waiter I meet when I dine out. You know how people love to steal pens. *smile*

I know several authors who have done mass-mailings to libraries and press releases to local newspapers. These are two more ways to market your work. Another innovative friend held Book Parties, similar to Tupperware, where the hostess earns gifts for hosting and more for sales. Just put on your thinking cap and see what ideas you can concoct.

Participation in local street fairs, craft shows, car shows, any place where people gather can be a great marketing experience. It's often fairly cheap to purchase a table or booth where you can set yourself up to display your books. For those who do only ebooks, then purchase downloads and put them on CD for sale. You just want to make sure you don't infringe on your contract in any way. I've not done many personal appearances, but I have compiled a notebook that holds categorized copies of all my reviews, interviews, and any sort of testimonial to my work. I'm prepared when I do attend an affair. Like I said...I have a difficult time tooting my own horn, so I prefer to let my notebook do my bragging for me. :)

I hope this was helpful to some of you. If you can think of other things to share, please leave them in the comments. I'm always happy to learn new things.

Let's Talk Spooky and Sexy with Kristin!

2009-02-20T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody!

Eternal Press Kristin Battestella stopping by for a bit of naughty romance and chit chat. I'm going to post mainly interview bits and pertinent links to provide some food for thought on paranormal romance, erotica, and of course, the Chosen Craft, writing!

Here's a blurb from my 2008 Eternal Press release The Vampire Family. Just so you get a feel for my kind of style:

Sadistic? Check. Domination? Check. Happiness? Not for all. Antonio Welshire accepts the mysterious Mestiphles' offer for vampiric power, but fails to consider that not all in his family desires evil. Daughter Victoria revels in the debauchery, but eldest daughter Samantha loathes the darkness. Enemies are in no short supply when the family turns to darkness. Charismatic rebel Gaston turns up to rival for Antonio's power; the vampire lover Jean can destroy them once and for all, and henchwoman Lilith seeks to supplant Antonio as Mestiphles' favorite. Who will be declared the victor? And in the end, though they've survived coven wars and persecutions since the 12th century, can The Vampire Family survive each other? Killing his abusive parents isn't enough for Antonio Welshire. Rape and death follow him through his youth in the 12th Century-until a stranger named Mestiphles give Antonio unimaginable vampire powers. Fearful yet captivated by his allure, Antonio's adopted sisters Ann and Elizabeth share this gift with him and their children-Victoria, James, Samantha, and Stephen. Antonio is a cruel ruler , and after his defeat of the young rebel Gaston, Antonio struggles with Lilith-another magical pet also created by Mestiphles. Antonio's vampire family grows over the centuries, each vampire loving and losing vampire fledglings over time. Wars, persecutions come and go, but the family's troubles always stem from within. Elizabeth may be his wife, but Ann supplants her as Antonio's mistress. By the 20th century, Elizabeth has found love again-unfortunately her fledgling Jean share's Samantha's disdain for the vampire life. Will The Vampire Family self destruct before the 21st Century?

Now, onto more juicy bits! Here's part of an interview I did with new erotica author Leigh Wood. For the complete talk, visit The Kristin Battestella Livejournal.

An Interview With Leigh Wood

By Kristin Battestella

-What is your real name?

Grr. Ashleigh Laura Wood. I hate it. How can something be so earthy and yet so puck bunny? Everyone calls me Leigh, but I suspect I might have to use the Ashleigh bemoan for publication. It means Ash Tree Meadow Laurel. That’s a lot of ticks. I tweak a bit with Old English. I think Leah means wood anyway. So it’s a bit redundant even. Dang hippie parents.

-What are you working on now?

Everything and nothing. I am a stickler for edits even when I’m probably beyond the point of needing edits. I’m at that point with the end of On The Way to New Isosceles. I handwrote Horns of Myleness during lunch hours at my day job, so my next dive will be to type that whole shebang. There’s always random writing bits, too, you know. Poetry, nonfic. I’d rather write about something than talk about it. My short memoir Cracked is in limbo. It could probably use another editing run through. It was accepted with Stone Garden Publishing, but a few red flags in their contract forced me to withdraw. A Contract isn’t worth my intellectually dignity.

-On The Way and Myleness, these two works are both erotica? How did you handle questions from coworkers?

I wrote On The Way at home and the handwritten Horns of Myleness was without the erotic bits. If I was still inspired by time I got home, I typed some kinky material. So I’ve got half of Myleness handwritten with no sex-and its quite good without it, honestly. On the other hand, I’ve got some serious kink on my laptop. I think it would be an intriguing concept to do a ‘nice version’ pure fantasy romancey, but also issue a naughty version with the sex scenes. It’s not a question of if the erotica is necessary or gratuitous, I like to think some readers of romance would rather speculate on the fade to black moments themselves. Others love the chuckle because they know what happens under the sheets. To each his own I say. My coworkers would probably die of shock.

-Where can we read your work?

I’ve got excerpts of On The Way To New Isosceles on the website-graciously sponsored at jsnouff.com- and I’ve got a free chance to read Cracked from my blog and the Kristin Battestella Yahoo group. I’ve also reposted some excerpts on blogspot. Currently that’s it. As I said I’m a stickler, and I’m not sure anything is really in publishing form right now. I’d be too touchy putting up imperfect as I type editions of Horns of Myleness. I’m hoping to submit On The Way in January. It’s topped 70k. With edits I don’t think it will reach 80, 75 and change most likey. It was only supposed to be a short story and here we are with a full length novel that beyond its genre, would be perfect for a big print house.

-Do you recall your first encounter with erotica?

Hmm….I remember reading Arabian Nights for the first time and being really shocked yet glad the whole story isn’t in the abridged kids version. That would be really wrong. Orgies and incest, my God! Who looked at this and decided that if that was all cut out, it was okay for kids? A bit twisted somehow. I also really love Lady Chatterley’s Lover. It’s not about the sex, really! I’ve written a few commentaries on Chatterley. They’re posted at the blog.

-You are quite a Christian woman. How do you deal with the at odds nature of Religion and sex?

I don’t want to say they don’t conflict, because they do. I can see how it would offend some people. I just don’t personally perceive things that way. I didn’t think about writing sexual material until I first got involved with my husband. As a writer I had to get that emotional and, well yes, physical awakening on paper. Previously I found my romantic material too superficial and cliché. On The Way To New Isosceles is about two people who come to see the closure they can find in each other. The joy and companionship people should experience when they are free and attracted to each other-despite what other circumstances such as space factions and war may say. God’s best gift is said to be the love between a man and a woman. Erotic literature isn’t anything he doesn’t know about. It can’t compare to the real thing but when done with love, intimacy, and discretion, I don’t see erotica as anything more than food for thought. Reading erotica is an experience just like any other emotional book. Porn is just weird and purely for gratification. That’s kind of sick, to waste one’s time on gratification instead of intellect.

-Now, I recall you telling me Horns of Myleness is about a love triangle. How is that about love and intimacy if there is an odd person out?

Horns of Myleness is a cautionary erotica tale I think. It is dark, conflicting. I hope it really tears readers in two! There names may change yet, but should the Queen choose her King, who is really a beefy Arthurian warrior, or shall she run off with the darling misunderstood younger brother? Of course, wars and fantasy and unicorns-yes unicorns-will interfere along with emotions and betrayal and such. During my writing, there were times I hated the Queen for choosing one way or the other, ney then I loved her for following her heart. Unfortunately her choice is tied to the fate of Myleness. You want all to be happy, but you know it can’t be so. I hope readers will enjoy dividing over the boys, ala ‘Team Aniston’ and ‘Team Jolie’. I did. Where On The Way is about opening up, awakening, giving in to reasonable joys and desires, Horns of Myleness is in a way the opposite. Affairs usually turn out for the worst. It’s what can go wrong when caution is put on the wind.

-Which genre do you prefer? Favorite authors and books?

The genre of the moment. I like a lot of historicals and fantasies. SF. I like Dune, Darkover, Gormenghast. I was really disappointed with Mists of Avalon, though. I think I’ve grown out of MZB. I love King Arthur and similar stuff, but Mists kind of put me off it for awhile. I read a lot of religious material as well. I’m all for embracing polarity, what can I say?

Please note, Leigh's On The Way To New Isosceles is currently editing at Eternal Press! Congratulations!

For a list of interviews starring yours truly, check out The Vampire Family Blog! I may just be back to traumatize you further! Wooohaaa!

Coventions and Conferences.

2009-02-19T08:01:00.000-08:00

There are lot of questions and not many answers when it comes to going, such as:

How much do thses really help you as an Author?
Is it worth all the expense?
What kind of promotion oppurtunities will there be?
And for a newbie (yes that would be me) who doesn't know many other authors will it feel awkward?

Questions pushed back into the folder in my mind labeled "You'll never know unless you do it" I've made the decision to go to the RT Convention this year in Orlando. It will be my first, in many ways. I've never flown, which I have to do to get there. I've never been to Florida, even though I did live in Georgia for a while. And it will be the first time my daughter and I have gone on vacation alone.

Anybody else going?

As for RWA the national conference is in DC this year, which is doable distance wise I could drive without to much hassle. Then there's the cost of the conference itself and the hotel. I was thinking maybe I'd do the NECRWA chapters conference at the end of March in Framingham MA. It closer, cheaper, and I have family in the area. I'd love to meet some of the Romance Divas that are going to in attendence. It'll give me a taste of what to expect so I think it would be a good experience.

I haven't joined RWA yet. Two things are holding me back from doing it.

One: The local chapter is MaineRWA and they meet a good four to six hours away from where I live. I know there are online chapters, but if I already belong to some really great online groups so I'd want something where I met people face to face.
Two: I have a feeling it's geared more towards writers and I really think to promote more I should interact with readers.

Maybe after attending I'll be able to decide whether or not RWA is for me? Maybe I'll be so overwhelmed I'll just come back and hide in the wilds of Extreme Northern Maine.

A Fine Romance

2009-02-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make.

I once disliked romance novels.

Not because I didn’t think they were good enough books, but I just felt the plots weren’t the kind to get me on the edge of my seat. Or the stories that made me bite my nails wondering what was going to happen next.

So, when I was growing up mystery was my genre. I’d sit for hours reading Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton novels. I wanted to be like the sleuths within the pages, finding the bad guys, solving the mystery and making the world safe again. I along with Miss Marple and The Secret Five would figure out who committed the crime. These plots kept me spellbound and entertained for hours.

I’ll be fair, I’d never read a romance book but I’d seen the covers read and the blurbs on the Mills and Boon books my grandmother would consume by the dozen.

I remember picking one up, paging through it, and asking her how could waste her time reading a romance when there were so many great mysteries to out there. Her reply was always the same, ‘they keep you on the edge of your seat. You’re on tender hooks wondering how these two people are going to work out their conflict.’

Did she say ‘conflict’ and ‘keep you on the edge of your seat’? Was she getting here genres mixed up?

I was never willing to find out what she was talking about until one day I picked up a book by Mary Stewart. I saw the word suspense written on and thought it was a mystery. I soon found out, yes, it was a mystery and a whole lot more. It was suspenseful, who were the bad guys, was the heroine going to be safe? But what was just as intriguing to me was the hero. This really nice guy was perfect for the heroine, but was he really in love with her, or was he going to kill her? I finally figured out what my grandmother had been talking about.

And so I found a subgenre called romantic suspense and I was slowly drawn into the world of romance novels. At first I insisted they had the word ‘suspense’ stamped on them or I wouldn’t touch them. However, I slowly I began to see what my grandmother had seen all those years in her Mills and Boon novels. You began the book knowing the hero and heroine were perfect for one another. You wanted them to be together, you knew they were going to end up together. However, the suspense, the mystery if you like, was how they could arrive there. After all, he’d supposedly killed her father, and she slept with his best friend. He’d stolen the plans for her new invention. He’s a tortured soul and she never wants to see another man again as long as she lives.

I’m still a huge mystery fan, and yes, I wrote both mysteries and romances. But I now I realize that a fine romance, one written well, often has some of the best conflicts you’ll ever find in the pages of a book. So this being February… and even if you’re a mystery fan, pick up a romance novel and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

Goal, Motivation, Conflict

2009-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

When dissecting the elements of a story these three ingredients are vital: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict. Every character in the story has thier own agenda, their own story. This is a big part of the plot, the set up for the climax, and how the story gets resolved.

Goal is what the character wants. This is the foundation of the story.

Little Red Riding Hoods'goal was to bring goodies to grandma. Everything that follows stems from this goal. The why brings us to motivation. Her motivation was to visit granny as she was sick. Red wanted to make her feel better.

Goal and motivation often go hand in hand. The conflict takes the form of the wolf. Wofie's goal was an easy meal, his motivation came after his first visit with Red. She told him granny was sick and she was bringing goodies to her. He likes goodies. Conflict is what keeps the character from reaching her goal. (eating granny will not make her well.)

Wolfie's conflict comes in the form of a hunter. He is a secondary character, but an important one. We aren't sure what his goal was initially, but in the end, it became the rescue of our heroines.

Conflict often comes in threes. The first obstacle: The wolf stops Red in the woods.

The climax: the height of the action-the most pressing event. Wolf has replaced granny and passes himself off as granny to fool Red.

The black moment: the point where all seems lost. Red realizes the wolf has done away with granny. (What big teeth you have. She ain't the brightest sconce on the wall.)

The third trial: the wolf now goes after Red. (The better to eat you!)

Knowing the GMC of your characters helps you create conflict and subplots.

Perhaps granny and the wolf ageed to trap red with a ruse of her illness. The hunter, suspicous after several girls disappeared, track the wolf and saved Red.

Granny studies a rogue pack of wolves from her hidden post in the forest. Red discovers a werewolf pack infiltrating the other wolves. Maybe granny is a werewolf herself and the wolf threatens Red so granny will give him control of the pack.

In a plot twist, you discover Red is the villain. Offing granny and her animal sanctuary will allow Red to gain her lands and build a condo. ( We assume the wolf hid granny to keep her safe rather than eat her.)

The resolution occurs when the hunter rescues Red. (depending on the version), cuts open the wolf and frees granny. All the story questions are answered.

Happy ending!

(Unless you're the wolf.)

After Valentine's Day

2009-02-16T07:03:00.000-08:00

Some people forget life does go on. Gifts are wonderful, dinners are great (especially if you have kids), but life does go on. Romance every day is what we have to remember. Telling your significant other, you love them every day. It's great to feel special!

But dinners out cannot happen every day, flowers do die, and you get sick of the candy.

But romance can be found in the little things. Hugs from the kids telling them, they love you mommy. Hubby helping get the kids to bed. Or maybe even if you are not married, your significant other being thoughtful enough and making dinner or ordering it. Just some help so you don't have to cook. Doing their part in cleaning and maybe just holding you when you have to cry.

Being comforted and feeling cherished can even be better than a bouquet of flowers. Or even them surprising you with a gift that doesn't feel obligated. A gift that they want to get you, just because. Those are the best and mean more cause they thought of you and figured you might need a little pick me up. Every day is a gift, and we should cherish it. Oh, you hear that over and over but when it hits you in the face, you realize how precious life can be.

There's no better way to show a loved one that you do love them, then telling them using those three words! Remember love is to be cherished every day!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2009-02-06T13:41:00.001-08:00

Recently, I had a friend take me on a walk down memory lane.
“The 'good old days',” my girlfriend of nearly twenty five years said. “Ah, weren't they something? Times were simpler, more down to earth, more....”

Thank God she loves me, I had to tell her to shut it.

They weren't such good old days. Granted, we didn't have to choose between a gallon of milk or a gallon of gas. When I look back and consider things, but I wouldn't change anything. Let me give you a few examples:

We have big screens now, luscious 50” dreams with glorious High Def resolution on 150 channels. Back then, a 21' inch console (with 5 channels) was the highlight of your life. Well, only when Dad didn't tell you to get up to change the channel or move the ears.

We have SUVS, the luxurious demons of the road with DVD players and adjustable seats. I remember the family station wagon. We had our parents telling us to 'look out the window, you might miss something' or 'count highway markers'. There was the ever infamous 'he's touching me!' yelled by every kid in the back seat.

Microwaves? If your parents could afford one, it was the size of a 21” television set.

For authors that are under the age of 35, writing in the 1970's and 80's was a true test in fortitude.

Computers were the size of your standard household refrigerator. PC's didn't exist. If you wrote, you used something called a typewriter. (Go to your local antique store---they have lots of them!) Nope, I can do without the good old days.

An original manuscript was handwritten. You would have various notebooks scattered about, filled with scenes. You lived at the local library, for research purposes. Your typewriter had to have paper and ribbon and be well tended, oiled and lubed. A key jam wasn't something you could afford.

Manuscript completed, you had to find the “golden book”. This book would reveal the addresses of the thousands of publishing companies. There, if there hadn't been a major change over within the past year, was a contact name.

Time to submit a query letter with a self addressed stamped envelope and wait six to twelve weeks for a response. If your query was accepted, the real work would begin, the typing. Envision endless hours hunched over a typewriter, surrounded by bottles of white out, with aching fingers and chipped nails.

Typing completed, its off to the post office (again). The manuscript goes certified return receipt with a SASE. Now, the waiting games.

Six months later, if not more, there's another response. If accepted, it's time for the dreaded editing.

Yes, I hate editing. I hate it with a passion that makes my eyes burn and my head ache. I'm a weakling...

In the good old days, take your 300+ pages and look them over. There's enough red ink on each sheet to send your former high school English teacher into a faint. Rearrange, check spelling, pull out the thesaurus, delete, rewrite. Everything had to be RETYPED and sent back to the publisher for the grand finale. There goes another three to six months of your life.....

Ah, my precious PC, glowing lights and high speed internet. My precious...

Yes, that is said with me rubbing my hands together with glee. Oh, I forgot about that wildly maniacal look that just lit up my eyes.

Oops, just backspaced a little to far, hit undo....

Tamela Quijas - Author

Angel' Fire, Demon's Blood--- available at http://wildhorsepress.webs.com www.amazon.com
Dante's Lady---available at www.heartsonfirebooks.com , www.amazon.com
I Can't Cook Because I'm A White Girl---available at www.amazon.com
Visit me!
www.myspace.com/tamelaquijas
tamelaquijas.wordpress.com

Branching Out

2009-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:00

I recently dipped my toe in the paranormal genre. I write historicals and contemporaries mostly but I thought I'd give paranormal's a shot, and what's more it's a futuristic paranormal of all things. I mean, is that even a genre?? But I digress.

I'm not one to pander to trends and I resisted going the paranormal route for a long time simply because it wasn't something I felt I could write since it wasn't something I really read. Still don't know if I can write it well, I'll leave it to my publisher and the readers to decide if it gets picked up.

I have two paranormal genre's I stick to in my reading: time travel and fallen angel/demon types but since becoming a published author (the thrill of that never gets old really) I've come in contact with other writers and their work through networking and chatting and such. I've checked out new work from author's I've built friendship's with and that has sort of broadened my horizon's a bit.

A lot of the romance out there is paranormal and a lot of my friends write paranormals so it's kind of hard to escape.

Like with all things, once you come in contact with a genre, it starts giving you ideas of your own and gradually I started to wonder if I should give it a go in the paranormal world.

So I picked out an idea I had and fleshed it out. It's on a very small scale, just a sort of test for myself. I'll let you know if anything comes of it and then I can discuss it more but I think it's important that we writers test ourselves often.

I still write contemporaries and historicals and always will. That's where my strengths are and where my ideas are really set in.

I've never had writer's block. Ever. Now this doesn't mean I've never been stuck on a scene but I've never been short of ideas. In fact, dipping my toe in the paranormal genre and futuristic genre I already have an idea for a full length futuristic novel that I shall file away for someday. That wouldn't have happened if I didn't come in contact with these writers who write different genres than I do.

So I say if you feel like your suffering from writer's block, don't be afraid to branch out and try a new genre. You'll be surprise at the deluge of ideas that come your way.

Visit me at www.ejamie.net

Three favourite book covers

2009-01-28T01:41:00.001-08:00

Hello, I'm Lindsay Townsend and I'm blogging at Romance Writers in the Rough on every 4th Wednesday.

Feb 14th is approaching, time of love and romance. To mark this special time, I thought I'd share 3 of my favourite covers and say why I like them so much.

The first is the cover for the romantic suspense novel, 'Faith,' by Bonnie S Mata. I love romantic suspense as a genre - that mix of life-and-death stakes and romance. In the ancient world, Venus, the goddess of love, had a torrid affair with Mars, the god of war. Love is the richest, most complex emotion any human can feel, and if that love is heightened or threatened by the fear of death in any kind of conflict, it creates a very powerful, raw state. there is also a sweeter kind of love and to me this is what the cover of 'Faith' perfectly captures. Love as sensual, appealing, vulnerable, desirable. I love the flowers, too: perfect for Valentine's day!

My second cover is from a theme I love reading - sheikhs and desert love. I love the wide scope of the setting and the rugged uncompromising masculinity of the heroes. They are also always protective, which to me is a huge plus! Here's a cover from a site devoted to sheikhs and desert love romance:

This title is one of the editor's choices. It's called 'Beauty and the Sheikh' and I like it because of the couple's clear connection and the tenderness between them. The hero also rescues the heroine.

My final title is all about commitment. It's a Steeple Hill Love historical series called 'Homespun Bride.' I found my eyes drawn to this cover because of the bride in her lovely wedding dress and the waiting groom. To me, love is about commitment, and this cover, with its pretty church and rural setting, is one of my favourites.

Needless to say, I am also very proud of my own historical romance covers, which you can see on my blog. Do you have any favourite covers? I'd love people to share them.

Best wishes, Lindsay.

Don't Be Shy

2009-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

I'm stunned at the growing number of new authors signed each month. I've been hanging around the publishing scene since the release of my debut novel, Prairie Peace, in 2003. I still recall what it felt like to be a newbie: the excitement, the thrill of holding my book and seeing my name in print, the pride of accomplishment, and the fear of the unknown. Sound familiar?

I had no idea what was expected of me once I had a book released. It seemed like my publisher just said, "Here ya go," and threw me out in the public...naked. This may sound strange, but I'm sure you can identify. I knew there were all kinds of things I needed to know, but I didn't know which questions to ask to get answers. So, I lurked. I signed up on loops, I read the posts, and hoped someone else would make inquiries that would teach me something. Is that how you feel?

So, here I am, almost six years later, much more polished, knowing far more than I did when I started, but still trying to find answers, but to different questions: how to find an agent, how to write the perfect query letter, will I ever see one of my books in Walmart? *smile*

There is no big secret to staying alive as an e-published author. The easy part is writing the book and getting it published...at least at this level. Then, you have to promote yourself in every way you can.

Every day, more and more people blog, launch websites, and join the tons of promotional sites on the internet. If you don't keep your name in the public eye, you can bet you will soon be forgotten. You can write the best book ever, but unless you let people know about it, it's going nowhere. That means garnering reviews, being interviewed, posting excerpts, going to chats, joining loops, and being a team player. The nice thing about our business is we are all working for the same goal...promoting ourselves and Internet publishing. If you have questions or need help, don't be shy. Just ask, I'm sure you'll find someone willing to step up. Pay it forward girls and guys. The more we promote one another, the more people learn about us all.

I'm doing my part from January 26-31. Twenty-five of my peers are coming to my blog and participating in "Bring a Character to Blog Week." I've given them instructions on using labels for their posts to help search engines pick up their info, issued the invitations, and now I sit back and enjoy the fun for six whole days. I can't wait to start reading. Believe me...this is a learning experience too. This is how I come up with new and innovative ideas, writing tips, and story lines. I've learned tons from my fellow authors.

I hope you'll stop by Dishin' It Out

A New Author's View On Reviews

2009-01-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

As a new author I was waiting nervously to get my first reivews. The only thing that was able to take my mind of it was diving into my current work in progress. The waiting game is a killer.

It's a wierd process of waiting when you're an author. I mean you work on your story submit it and WAIT to see if the publisher, or editor liked it. It get's accepted and you go through the editing and cover art process and WAIT patiently for your release date to come around. Then you WAIT for someone you've never met before to read your work and tell you what they thought of it.

Now I know everyone will have their own opinion. And yes not everyone will love it. I can take the good with the bad, though in all honesty I hope there's no bad.

I love checking out the dozen or so review sites I've been to. Not to mention people's blogs about their recent reads. I know I have bought books based on the reviews I read and totally disagreed with the reviewer on whether or not it was a good book.

I write my stories for me. So in the long run if I'm happy with them then that's all that should matter. Still crazy as it may sound somewhere in the back of my mind I want to know what people think. Good or bad.

Characters Welcome

2009-01-21T05:58:00.000-08:00

Hello, I’m Susan Palmquist and I’ll be blogging every third Wednesday of the month. As this is my first post, here’s some information about me. I’m a freelance writer and created and run my own Web site called The Budget Smart Girl’s Guide to the Universe www.budgetsmartgirl. It was recently named one of the top 6 money sites to watch in 2009 by U.S. News World Report. I’m also the new blogger over at Between The Lines, and I’m the published author of three novels. A Sterling Affair, a paranormal romance published by The Wild Rose Press, Death Likes Me, a mystery published by Hearts on Fire Books and a children’s novel that previously won The Loft Children’s Literature Award and it’s also published by Hearts on Fire Books. If you want to see the covers of the books and read some excerpts stop by my Web site www.susanpalmquist.com.

Jenny said we could talk about anything to do with romance and writing and for some reason, characterization popped into my head.

Think about a book you really enjoyed reading…one that was almost impossible to put down.
Now ask yourself was it the plot that you liked best, or did you love it because one or more of its characters held your attention?

I’m taking a guess here, but I’d say 99% of you answered characters.

Yes, a good plot’s vital to any book and all genres, but unless you create at least one character the reader can identify with, having the most wonderful plot in the world won’t have as much impact.

If you keep up on TV ratings and what shows got the axe, you might have read that other than the CBS show, The Mentalist, there’ve been no breakout shows this season. If the TV executives are scratching their heads wondering why and what when wrong, here’s a tip, create shows with more memorable characters.

So, as a writer how can you create a memorable character?

Give Them a Past
Most great characters have something in their past that’s not only shaped who they are, but dictates their future too, and maybe even gives them some of the little quirks readers love so much.

As most of us watch TV, I’ll use two characters from popular shows as examples. Adrian Monk, whose wife was killed by a car bomb, he’s not only trying to find her killer, but trying to get back on the force. Oh, and he’s got phobias about everything out there which often hinders his everyday activities.

And there there’s Gregory House M.D. He walks with a cane, is addicted to painkillers and despite being a brilliant doctor is a complete pain the butt to his fellow workers and patients. These are both interesting characters, they’ve got baggage and we want to know more about them, hence we tune in each week to see what’s going to happen to them.

In my mystery, Death Likes Me, I knew I wanted to make it part of a continuing series so I had to give my main character, former detective Niki Webber some issues to deal with. And boy, did I give this poor character lots of stuff to ‘deal with’ She’s only 38 and a widow. She’s been shot and nearly died. Oh, and let’s not forget, she’s guilt ridden because she thinks she might have wanted to end her life and hence the reason she let her guard down and got shot. And let’s not forget that when she was shot, her partner had to shoot and kill a teenage boy who had no prior police record.
Give Your Character a Problem Everyone can Relate To
Okay, you might be thinking well, not everyone’s been shot in the line of duty and caused the death of a teenager, but guilt is a universal feeling. Losing a spouse is something many people have faced or will face, and you can even relate to House because we all know what it’s like to be in pain.

Give Them A Future
When the book comes to a close, make the reader feel like cheering or taking a deep breath because the character is okay, and if it’s series character, make them wanting more. Get them to the point where they can’t wait for your next book to hit the stores.

Feeling Sluggish

2009-01-19T11:23:00.000-08:00

Ever have one of those days that you just cannot get moving? That's me today. I finished an amazing book called NoAngel by Penny Vincenzi. Yet after reading it, I wasn't inspired to write. I wanted to read more about this family. Pick up the next book in the series and let my writing go another day.

Usually I have the opposite effect, I get inspired to work on my stories. Maybe it's just a Monday thing but then there are times it hits me on other days. I just want to relax and chill out but then in the back of my mind, I remind myself that things could be worse. I could not be inspired to write at all. Looking at my notes for my current story that I'm typing up. I just have to remind myself to keep going no matter what! I'll be happy once I am done. Yet the slug bug still gets me. It's something I think every writer fights.

This new year I hope to see many things and find the best ways to not feel sluggish anymore. Well, maybe not so much. Is there anything you do to get rid of the slug bug? Any thing that you could tell me would be greatly appreciated!

A biker's new year resolution

2009-01-19T03:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all,
I bought my hubby a new Buell motorcycle for Christmas which leaves me with the Harley Sportster. Cool.

Now i just have to learn to ride the sucker. I will be taking the bike safety course and learn to ride at the dealership. Then I think I would like to join a biker gang.
I've given this great thought and its not just any biker gang.
I want to join BACA. It's an anacronym for Bikers Against Child Abuse.

We basically stand by a child while she/he has her/his day in court. It's emotional support and it gives the child a friend (as well as a neat vest that says BACA on it). We don't initmidate, we don't do anything outside the law, we simply support the child.

It would be a dream come true if one day I spoke about child abuse and met with blank stares. The phoenomena would be so rare that people didn't understand the concept.
One of the officers of the group calls himself Thor.
(I'm thinking character! how sexy is a guy on a bike who helps kids in his spare time?)

Thinking of Thor made me think of Freya. She is the goddess of love and war. It seems like a contradiction. (or an ancient tribute to women's ability to multi task).
War and Love don't have much in common, unless, if driven by a cause, the person chooses to fight for the greater good and defend those who can't defend themselves.

Under these circumstances love and war could be compatible. There are things worth fighting for, but for the moment, I'm fighting with the clutch!My new year's resolution is to find my inner Freya and gain the courage to be something better than I am now.

Love Beyond the Veil

2009-01-07T12:01:00.000-08:00

Margaret lived in a nursing home in Florida to spend her final years before time was ready to take her. She was a sweet lady, mildly confused, but mobile. She was bustling about her room, making her bed and setting up the pillows at its head.
She was running a brush through her silver hair, when the nurse came in with a dinner tray. Margaret smiled at her.
"No thank you. I won't be having dinner, my husband is coming for me at six." Margaret sprayed a bit of perfume on her wrist, then patted her hair into place.
The nurse set the tray on her bedside table. "In case he runs late, I will keep it here." She smiled with indulgence at the older woman.
"Daniel is never late," Margaret told her. Margaret's husband, Daniel, had died ten years earlier, but she felt no need to argue the point with the sweet lady and she left to pass the other trays.

After an hour, the nurse came to pick up her tray, it was untouched. Margaret was resting on her bed, a gentle smile on her lips. The nurse went to wake her. Soon she realized Margaret had passed.
She called the doctor to pronounce her dead.
It was 5:50.
Daniel wasn't late.

Marie was born in 1895. Her life was spent pouring her love upon her family, including a sister she took in after the death of her mother. She lost her beloved husband, Peter, in 1963.
Thirty years later she finally began to tire. We urged her to stay for 100 years but she was ready and at peace with dying at the young age of 98, and it did seem so young on her.
Her children were with her while she was on her death bed, at the very end, she sat up, her eyes wide with wonder, her lips smiling.
She then eased gently back on her pillow and took her last breath.

What had she seen?
I think she saw Heaven. The gates opened wide for this gentle woman and just inside the gates was Peter.
In my selfishness, I wanted my grandmother to live forever. It's not fair to lose someone so easy to love.
My new years resolution is to be as easy to love as she was.
Jennifer Childers,
author"Kindertransport"
Wild Rose PressAugust 2009
myspace.com/jenniferchilders

Self-Promotion for Romance Authors

2009-01-05T06:46:00.000-08:00

For those of you who are e-published, you know that the key to getting your book into reader's "hands" is self-promotion. We, as e-authors, are responsible for the majority of it. Some publishers provide as much as they can offer (bless their hearts), but often times, it simply isn't enough.

And to those new authors who've just signed, they may be baffled as to where to begin. So here are some resources and ideas for self-promotion:

Self-Promotion for Romance Authors

1.) JOIN GROUPS - Places like Yahoo! Groups (Romance Writers in the Rough is a prime example *winks*) Often, romance-geared groups have PROMO days where you can post excerpts of your work and buy links. This is an excellent way to network.

2.) NETWORKING - As I mentioned before, joining a group is a great way to network. I can't count the number of e-friends I've made in the last year alone.

3.) CREATE A WEBSITE - This, perhaps, should be the number one thing you do. There are a number of free website/free webhosting sites, such as www.weebly.com. Personally, I use Weebly and love it. I mean, it's so easy, a freakin' monkey could do it. Seriously! You'll want to create a page for your work, with excerpts, reviews, and most importantly, BUY LINKS.

4.) JOIN MYSPACE OR FACEBOOK - Many authors/writers have a page one or both (like me) of these sites. Once again, a great place to showcase your work, blog, and network.

5.) CREATE A BLOG - Even if you hate blogging (like me), get one. They're free, and a great promotional tool. I often have guests on my own blog. Check it out at www.jennygilliam.blogspot.com.

6.) HOLD CONTESTS - Giving away free promotional items such as buttons, bookmarks, or even free copies of your books will drive traffic toward your website. And if you give away a free copy of one of your books, chances are the winner will come back for more.

7.) JOIN ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA - RWA is a great organization. They have area chapters which you can join (another GREAT way to network and get your name out there, especially if you're published) and get great support from other romance writers. They also have a yearly conference which, while a tad expensive, is an awesome experience. (I went to last year's in San Francisco). Talk about a place to network.

8.) ENTER CONTESTS - A lot of times, judges are editors, agents, and published authors. RWA's Golden Heart and RITA are two prime examples. Even if you don't win, there's always a chance that someone may notice your work. And if you DO win, well, you can call yourself an "award-winning author."

These are just a few of the things I've done since I signed my first contract a one year ago. And I have to say, I've made a (albeit, small) name for myself.

Good luck!

Jenny Gilliam ~ Spicy Romance with a Dash of Humor
www.jennygilliam.com

A Christmas Future

2008-12-19T13:02:00.000-08:00

Dirk ran through the forest, his feet tromping heavily through the fallen leaves, small twigs cracked under his weight while sprigs of leaves smacked his face.The forest was the home of the Edelwiess Pirates, a teen resistance group protesting the Nazis. It didn't matter the protest was non violent, the man pursuing him would end the chase with a bullet if he had to.
A shadowed object appeard before him. Sliding on the fallen leaves, Dirk skidded to a halt, weapon drawn.
"I see you require my aid," Saje declared, ignoring Dirk's weapon. His grayish wings came to rest against his back.
Dirk held his luger steady, this wasn't the man who was chasing him."Aid? yes I am trying to apprehend a traitor. Did you see which way he went."
Dirk strained his eyes against the dark, there was a small gust of wind and a gentle flapping noise as a shadow seemed to fall behind the person. shadows playing tricks.
"I've been sent to rescue you from harm."
"you're going to keep me from harm?" Gregor smirked. "Harm from whom. The SS has no fear of this rabble" He could only assume the stranger meant the resistance. There was something different about the stranger, Gregor sensed an energy emanating from his presence. Something ancient. Why didn't he know?
"What are you?" Dirk asked. He no longer heard the menacing footsteps behind him. Had he eluded capture? Was the stranger one of the SS?
"A Woodland Fae. But nevermind that, I need to get you out of here." Saje knocked the gun away and grabbed onto Dirk's biceps so fast, the man had no time to react before he summoned his magic. The next second, they were back in 2009........
The strangers voice lulled him for a moment. woodland fae? He must have hit his head on a branch.
'What the?" Dirk was disarmed, before he could reach for the dagger, the stranger gripped his arm, in a merging of light and dark Dirk moved without moving. He whirled on the stranger."Where are we"
Saje spun the man around to face the scene before them. "Our future." His eyes misted as he looked at his unborn, unnamed children nestled upon Amanda's lap while she told them a bedtime story. Soft lamp light illuminated her dark hair as they all sat on a beige oversized chair. A lump rose in his throat at the beautiful sight.
"Our future? What is this?" Dirk asked, standing still, afraid to disrupt the peace he witnessed.
"My wife and my future family."
Dirk pulled away from his grip and surveyed the room around them. "What does this have to do with me?"
"You are part of their ancestry and my happiness."
"Oh."
Saje stepped beside him. "If you stay on the course you take, you will be killed prior to siring a child. The Nazi's will eventually have you murdered. I cannot allow that. Without your offspring, my wife will not exist in this time."
"The Nazi's will kill me? I am one of them." He was resistance. Even if Dirk fooled the Nazis into believing him loyal his father wasn't. The man hated all the Nazis stood for. Dirk watched the children for a moment. His gaze shifted to the mother, a silver necklace graced her pale skin, catching the light as she moved. Dirk recognized the edelwiess pendant. It looked like the medal given to his father years ago, it was a medal of honor made to resemble this token of pure love. Dirk reached for the medal in his pocket, his fingers curled around the silver medallion. He handed it to Saje."How? Who?" he studied the young woman again. his eyes misted.
Saje turned the medallion in his palm and fingered it's fine silver. He pocketed the treasure for Amanda later. "Hitler, because of your father's beliefs."
"Does my father get killed?" Dirk asked.
"Yes."
Dirk looked him in the eye. "I need to save him."
"And you?"
"Now that I am aware, I can protect myself and him from death." The resistance will continue the fight.
Could he trust him? Saje watched Amanda's face. He loved her so much. He looked at Dirk again. "I will bring you back to save your father, but I keep the medallion."
Dirk had to face facts. It was possible the Germans could win the war. self interest aside, he loved his father. His loyalty lost him his best friends, he couldn't lose his father too. All the talk of honor and glory could never replace the man who raised him. He had to try.
"Keep the medallion. Family honor comes first. I have no future without it."
Dirk slipped the medallion into the stranger's hand. He squinted his eyes before the image of the woman and children could fade. Events would pass into history but family was forever.

Deborah J Panger and my story, Saje, is coming in Spring of 2009, to the Scarlet Rose line.
Jennifer Childers is the author of Kindertransport, and this will be released in August 2009.
Both books are published through Wild Rose Press

Winter Solstice and the holidays

2008-12-17T07:34:00.000-08:00

Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year, the time when the daylight hours are the shortest. This is a time of year for many different holidays traditions, including Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Yule, Saturnalia, and the Rural Dionysia. For even more traditions, read this page on Wikipedia.

I have two free reads, one that was released yesterday and another that will be coming soon, about vampires celebrating the Winter Solstice. It makes sense, right? Obviously in the paranormal universes where vampires can't go out during the day, they must seriously live it up on the longest night of the year! :D

You can access those stories here:
http://www.adriannebrennan.com/amor.html
http://www.adriannebrennan.com/ln.html

What holiday stories do you enjoy best? Are there any holiday stories released or about to be released which you're looking forward to reading? What is your take on holidays stories released within the speculative genres of fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal?

Love & Magic,
-A

'Sharing' Books

2008-12-16T20:32:00.000-08:00

I was reading a fellow author's blog and they were talking about file sharing sites that share, among other illegal copyrighted material, books.

There are people out there who will purchase and download an ebook and then go to some torrent or other kind of file sharing place and upload the book for others to download. For free. Meaning the author sees not a penny!

What's the difference between this and say buying a paper back book and giving it to a friend. That 'one' book that your giving has been paid for.

In the case of ebooks, they are downloaded, copy after copy with no payment besides the ONE payment paid for the first copy that was uploaded.

This author mentioned that she'd seen that her ebook had been downloaded three hundred times! That's 299 times that she was not paid for the book she wrote!

For some reason, people seem to think that writers are rich and can afford to have their books pirated. Hands up any of you writers who are rich off your book sales.

They see books that cost between 10-30 dollars for hardcovers or up to 6 dollars for ebooks. They hear about Nora Roberts signing multi million dollar books deals and think she can afford to have her books 'shared'. Guess what, a print book may cost you 10-30 dollars but the author may only see about 6% of that. Six. So yes Nora isn't pinching pennies but that's because she sells a LOT of books. That's the point. She has to SELL them. That means people have to PAY for them.

And you know what? Yeah, books are more expensive now than they were in the past and everyone's feeling the crunch of the economy but that's not even the point. The point is, it's wrong to steal.

For some reason, they thing because it's written and out there for the public, that it belongs to the public. No. The ONE physical copy is your property, but the content is the property of the author. That means you, the buyer, can own it, and you the buyer can RESELL that one copy on ebay or sites like that but you CANNOT put it up for the public to download for free.

It's wrong and guess what, you may love that author's books but that author won't be able to WRITE ANYMORE BOOKS if she isn't making any money from them because asshats are putting their books on filesharing sites to be downloaded illegally and publishers consider an author's salability before offering them a new contract.

Let me see if I can put this another way. Stealing from an author is like this, let's say you've just found out that you've just lost your job because your boss found someone who's willing to do it for free.

Does that bring it closer to you? Do you get it now?

So stop stealing from authors or guess what, that'll be the end of your favorite authors cause their publishers won't see them making any money and drop them.

So stop it.

And if you see any books up on those filesharing sites, report them.

We all love books, now let's make sure we can keep writers selling so we can continue to enjoy them.

Things that make me go hmmm...and awe....

2008-12-12T08:06:00.000-08:00

My grandbabys' laughter...

My husband's kiss...

A call from the kids on some special day...or not...

Snuggling with a warm book on a cold night...

Snuggling with a warm husband on a cold night...

First snowflakes...

Seconds on dessert...

Third trip to the book store...

A fourth in bridge...

Great friends who know before you tell them...

A good surprise on a bad day...

Just to name a few.

Have a wonderful holiday season!!!

Minnette Meador

http://www.minnettemeador.com/

Starsight I

Starsight II

The Centurion & The Queen

The Edge of Honor

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

2008-12-09T12:52:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, here's my intital post for Romance Writers In The Rough. My name is Nancy Da Silva and I write erotic fiction under the name E. Jamie. I'm currently published with Amira Press. I have two shorts 'To Love A Knight' and 'Forbidden' available as well as my recent release, an erotic novella with Amira Press called 'Redemption'

I'm known as the writer whose muse has no off switch. Seriously. I can look at anything and think up a plot on demand. My mind is always churning with ideas, characters, situations.

I could never do Yoga, trust me, I've tried. That whole 'quiet your mind' and 'let it go blank' thing? Not likely with me. I could look at a remote control and automatically think of a girl sitting on her couch crying as she's watching T.V and then that thread goes bigger and bigger until I figure out who she's crying on the couch while she's channel surfing.

I could look at something as mundane as a pencil and automatically I think of an old school with a few students and this one little girl is there with a slate on her lap and she's some kind of genuis or something cause she calls out the answer before the teacher finishes writing the question on the board and oooh look at that, she's psychic, but by her clothes and the school house I could tell this is turn of the century so this could be a very bad thing.

See?

And let's not even talk about dreams. I've had this male character in my head for weeks which is a rarity for me because I usually start my books with a female character but this man was in my head and wanted his story told...but I had no idea what his story was. So I waited and in that place of sleep before your completely awake, there he was, fully formed and letting me in on his story. His name is Jack Madison and the story will be a contemporary romance. Think Indecent Proposal meets Wuthering Heights. I have a couple of stories still in progress so it'll be a while before I can share Jack's story with you but I jotted the idea down so it'll be there when I'm ready.

That's the most important thing about ideas. You have to capture them in some tangible before because you WILL forget them.

I've never suffered from writer's block. I have what I call the opposite problem. Writer's Overload.

It's a good problem to have.

You can find out more about me and my work at my website www.ejamie.net

Have a great day all!

Welcome to Romance Writers in the Rough!

2008-12-06T10:42:00.001-08:00

Hi! My name is Jenny Gilliam. I'm the author of 3 spicy, contemporary & 1 steamy romantic suspense novels with Amira Press & The Wild Rose Press. This is the official blog for my Yahoo! Writer's Group, Romance Writers in the Rough. We are a group of like-minded writers who share a love of reading and writing and romance. Please visit our site and join if you feel like this is a good fit for you. We are always looking for new faces. Below is a outline of what we are and our schedule:

"Brainchild of author Jenny Gilliam, Romance Writers in the Rough is a catch-all group that celebrates the joys and tears of writing. Come here to gripe, share great news, post chapters for critiques, find critiquing partners. Your posts can even be off-topic. Jenny created this group with the idea of having one group to provide everything--with little rules.

Here's our schedule:

Monday: PROMO Day; post your excerpts, contest info, reviews, etc.

Tuesday: Critique Day (One rule: For every chapter that is critted FOR you, you must CRIT the writer back in exchange.)

Wednesday: Anything Goes Day; Questions for other writers, post critiquing partner requests, good news to share, etc.--you get the picture. You may post promo items such as contest information, reviews, and other things.

Thursday: Anything Goes Day

Friday: Author Chat Days ~ If you are an author or publisher, please email me at: jenny@jennygilliam.com for details and scheduling.

Saturday: Critiquing Day (see above)

Sunday: PROMO

We'd love to see you on our loop!